Super Mario Apocalypse 2: Legend of the Three Kings
by Ironfoot
Summary: A horrible secret is let loose, forever changing the shape of kingdoms and empires across the planet. To defend against total annihilation, the world must look to the most unlikely heroes imaginable: the Koopalings. Sequel to The Perfect World.
1. Preface & Prologue

Welcome! This is the second part of this epic tale, which began with the prequel "The Perfect World." Much of the legendarium of where that story left off is included in the Prologue, however I still recommend reading through the first tale as it will bring a much greater understanding to the events discussed within this one.

Also, due to the hard times and the importance of the material I have read, I feel I need to give my sources of inspiration for this story. If you are more interested about the subjects I write about, then I urge you to check out the sources listed below and google them.

First off, the biggest inspiration to this story is ZetaTalk, and I doubt I would have written it the way I did without it. It has served as the basis for the main plot line and what is to occur in the future, as well as all of the natural disasters and erratic weather. You can say that if you want to be partially spoiled as to what's in store for this story, you can read what the Zeta's have to say on their website. After finding it in 2007, it has helped me flesh out my long standing ideas surrounding the Koopalings, but in a way that showcased what the Zeta's have explained is coming to Earth. That was beginning of The Perfect World, and the storyline continues as it was meant to parallel our own reality. As you can imagine, this tale is far from over.

For the gods themselves, I was inspired by the Annunaki as explained by ZetaTalk, Zecharia Sitchin and Erich van Daniken. They were an extraterrestrial race that came to Earth looking for gold to bring back to their home planet. They were the original slave masters, and we were the slaves.

For the Egyptology references in general, I was inspired by many things, from Zecharia Sitchin to John Anthony West to movies such as Stargate. I have watched a good number of archaeology documentaries so I cannot list them all, but all play a part.

For the invisible hands that control the world, eye openers such as Zeitgeist helped pave the way for that to develop. But I honestly think that everyone has a sense that there's some kind of group that controls the world.

For the concept of the wands, I will admit that it is largely my own creation built from abstract concepts (though the practice of Numerology did help in this regard). While I did later stumble across parallel concepts such as Pelmanism and other ideas from occult texts, the ideas that stand behind the wands ultimately remain the same. I believe that life works in trinities, or threes. It is the maintenance and balance of the positive and the negative that creates the third force. The duality between them is a never ending cycle here in this dimension, something that must be learned by every soul incarnated.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the story. If you have any questions, please feel free to message me.

-Ironfoot

* * *

The single light of a candle illuminated only what he needed in the surrounding darkness: an old wooden desk upon which was held a blank parchment, a quail and a bottle of ink. Even in the digital age, he preferred the old traditional methods. Perhaps the times were hitting him hard and he sought some form of mental solitude. But in any event, dipping the quail in the jar, he began to write what was likely his last letter.

_To His Majesty, the 254th King of the Blood, Larry Koopa:_

_The process was started long ago, and only now do we witness the results. A false race with false ideals with a false history, they do not know the heritage that they have inherited. It lies within the shadows, ready to be stumbled upon by anyone with an open mind and a strong will to harness it. That is why you were chosen, O King. Out of all of your siblings, you alone were the least corrupt by those who run the heart of the world._

_I must confess that before the writing of this letter that I was one of their greatest henchmen to live in plain sight. I carried out their agendas, their wishes, deeds and protocols. I carried out your education, I monitored your friendships with others, I saw what you were doing late at night on the computer. This was not the will of the Magikoopa Council, but neither was your indoctrination which you have so superbly overcome to deserve your position. _

_Before I extinguish, I must entrust the history of your position to you. I do not know if you are aware of any of what I am about to say, but I implore you read further._

_The King of the Blood was a part of what was called the Divine Trinity, or the Triad of Kings. These were the King of the Earth, King of the Blood and King of the Spirit. Each king was allotted one-third share of total power over the entire race and each were given an explicit set of rules to follow. I will describe the other two briefly before explaining your responsibilities._

_The King of the Earth is what is now termed the "King of the Koopas," which is currently held by your younger brother, Bowser Junior. This is a wand made of solid titanium with a red ruby on its end. This King is responsible for governing the general landmass and populace, maintaining the survivability of the Koopa race and for evolving the Koopa race on a physical level._

_The King of the Spirit is but a mere legend. This King was responsible for the spiritual evolution of our race, maintaining morality and sanctity and vanquishing evil wherever it appeared. The wand was taken early in our history by the Naru, our original creators, deeming we had evolved far beyond our original bounds. _

_The King of the Blood (your position) is responsible for the entire Koopa family and maintaining their survivability on this planet. Your race is descended from the gods themselves, separate from the original worker class and so your purity must be maintained. You must manage each family member descended from the Naru race, appoint members to key positions when necessary and prevent the outbreak of any internal fighting. In fact, you are also responsible for choosing every King of the Earth that may inherit the wand. It is to my best intentions that you will choose wisely in this manner._

_If you have not been initiated by the deceased kings residing in Genlic, then please do so as soon as it is most convenient. You will not grow your pair of horns until this is done. Merely holding a wand does not make one Koopa a King. It is only when he is initiated at the location specified for a particular wand will he become one. _

_The initiation for the King of the Blood is held at Genlic itself, as you may guess. Again, if you have not done this yet, I highly recommend doing so as soon as possible._

_The initiation for the King of the Earth is held in an underground location called the Divine Cathedral, located many stories underneath Koopa Castle. _

_The initiation for the King of the Spirit has been lost to time, but legend states it was located within the greatest Empire of all time, destroyed by a "wall of fire." _

_As King of the Blood, it is important to exercise fairness in your dealings with others. As the Society is still at large, any negative action you undertake only strengthens their hold on your body. If you want to defeat this evil and retake the power that lies within your blood and the blood of what will be your descendants, you must exercise complete self-control in every situation and your increasing awareness of the invisible will tell you the answers that you seek. _

_I tell you this now, not just from my recent defection. I have always supported your family, since I served your grandfather Morton as advisor. Being Grand Magikoopa has taken its toll on my mind, but it never corrupted my dedication to your family._

_The last advice I must give is a warning: be wary with those you deal with, as insanity will only increase as the world continues to crumble apart in the face of annihilation. It is the Trinity that can save us all from destruction, as long as evil is in check and their hearts and minds willing. _

_I must now face several strings which I failed to tie in the past, one of which I may not survive. _

_May the Koopa family live forever into eternity,_

_Kamek_

_Grand Magikoopa_

_Former Grand Prefect of The Society_


	2. 18: Last Wish

The voices were beginning to silence within his mind. That was the first time in years, back to a time that he could hardly remember. Finally, he could think clearly and access his situation, but his time was cut short. The long anticipated cannon fire began to be heard over the horizon, the signal of his coming invasion.

King Bowser Koopa opened his eyes and saw confirmation against the setting sun: his tanks and airships quickly moving towards his position. Brushing his red mane back with his claw, he chuckled to himself, assured of his inevitable success. He may have grown much older since his first attempt as his face had become more wrinkled with age, but that did not stop his determination and getting what he believed was rightfully his.

Luckily for him, that prize was already next to him. Dressed in regalia fashion no matter the occasion, Princess Peach looked on with a face of worry, hotly anticipating the arrival of her beloved saviors. To her, it was only a matter of time. She knew her Toad Brigade would not stand a chance against the more modern Koopa Troop, let alone the insignificant numbers that she had.

"This is it Princess! The moment we've been waiting for!" said Bowser, always optimistic of his success. "After long last, not only will I conquer your puny little Mushroom Kingdom, but I will make it my own kingdom! Let's see Mario stand up to that!"

"W-what?" stuttered a surprised Peach. "You mean...I'm not going back to your kingdom?"

Bowser laughed. "No, baby doll. We're not going back to my kingdom, cause we're already _in_ my kingdom! Don't you get it? This is my land now!" As if on cue, the local Toad militia gave a cry and down below the duo were 100 troops, carrying shells, Bullet Bill launchers and other weapons. They gathered and with a shout, marched towards the oncoming Koopa force, which began to deafen the skies with its machinated force.

Unfortunately for them, Bowser's forces were too many. Tanks carrying multiple cannonball launchers fired at first sight of the enemy, and several dismembered Toads flew up in the air amidst clouds of dirt and smoke. Many cannons launched a new type of red bob-omb, which proceeded to home in on any unfortunate Toad and explode. Other Toads who sought a way to halt the advancing front line were run over by them instead, seemingly paying no heed to what lay in front of them.

Bowser laughed with wholehearted satisfaction. "You see! There's nothing you can do! This Kingdom is mine!"

"Say that to my face, lizard freak!"

"Wha...?" Bowser turned and saw his old arch-nemesis Mario, staring him down from across the field they stood on. "Hahaha! You're a little late, my little portly plumber! I had already said that this kingdom is mine for the picking, and now it is _all_ mine!"

"You think I'm going to let your grubby hands take Peach again? Think twice, turtle brain!" shouted Mario.

"Oh?" said Bowser. "This was already decided long before you and your little brother decided to show up. All you do is delay the inevitable, but even this time you've failed. This little mushroom kingdom is now the new Koopa Kingdom!"

Suddenly, a multitude of enemies appeared from outside the surrounding forest. Lakitu's, Monty Moles, a large number of Paratroopas and even Bullet Bill cannons were rolled out onto the plain and closed in on an increasingly worried Mario. He didn't know where his brother was, but he could use his help right now. If they weren't separated during that fateful decent through the atmosphere...hell, if the Destroyer, that large planet threatening to rip apart the entire Mushroom World hadn't appeared, then the last few years would never have happened. The Galaxy, the space station designed to contain that very fact, would never have been built. More importantly, kingdoms across the planet would've been better off they had been told the truth all along. He didn't know if he could ever forgive himself for playing alongside that cover up, but...

Mario shook his head. It didn't matter now, he was on his own. He knew he was going to have to use some his new techniques to overcome this battle.

"So, you're on an end of the world bid to fame, are ya? I might not be able to save every kingdom right now, but I can do what I came here to do. Right now."

"HA! I'd like to see you try! This is my dying wish, and I'll be damned if you get in my way!"

The ground rumbled beneath their feet, a welcome to the inevitable fight Mario would have to face. But Bowser seemed distracted by something in the distance, and when Mario turned to look he saw it: far away, a giant white pillar of light reaching into the sky. Everyone seemed entranced by it.

"What's that?" said one Lakitu, and many baddies murmured amongst themselves. Mario was confused and was not sure what it symbolized. But Bowser's face was plastered with a look of awe. A wave of realization seemed to flow through him, and after a moment he grumbled and held his head.

"...so you said that Kamek will become the next Grand Magikoopa?" Bowser suddenly asked.

"...huh?" asked Mario, snapping out of his trance. The baddies refocused their attention on their master, with most looking very confused.

"You said, after the death of my father, that you would-" Bowser opened his eyes and stopped short. "WHAT?" He looked around frantically. "What's going on?"

"We are invading the Mushroom Kingdom, upon your orders sire." said a Boomerang Bro.

Bowser blinked. He had suddenly remembered that. Though his memory was seemingly intact, he felt different. That pressure which was upon him had seemingly disappeared. But judging from his situation, he knew he had to keep this going.

"O-of course!" He looked at Mario and remembered his purpose. "Get him!"

Bowser's baddies prepared to assault the plumber, but at that moment, Mario unleashed his latest ability. The skies darkened for a moment before a ball of flame surrounded the plumber.

"Wha?" said many of the underlings.

With a flash, the ball of flame spread in all directions, engulfing everything in its path. A million screams of agony were heard simultaneously. Bowser, on instinct covered Peach with his body and the flames shot past his shell harmlessly.

When the flames subsided, Mario found himself surrounded by many roasting creatures of various kinds, with the combined smell barely tolerable. Bowser got up and naturally, was dismayed by the event.

Jumping into the sky, he landed in front of Mario with a rumble, flames spitting from his snout and ready to pounce. But he had a better plan. His wand was now gone, but he still had many tricks up his sleeve. Knowing this, Bowser laughed at his arch-nemesis.

"What an incredible show of force, Mario!" he said rather sarcastically. "Perhaps you could entertain me further." Suddenly, Bowser started growing to an immense size, rising up to the sky. Those not destroyed by the flames looked in awe as his head rose well above the tree line.

Bowser laughed, a giant facing a multitude of, what seemed to him, micro goombas. "Come on Mario, entertain me!"

"These toads need to move somewhere safe, and you're just delaying the inevitable!" Said Mario.

"Ha! They don't need to know a thing. Just look at my old kingdom. They learned the truth and a war is now all over the continent."

"Oh, so that's your excuse this time?" asked Mario.

"It's better if they know nothing! They'll never get in my way, and I can rule with Peach until the end of the world!"

As if on cue, a string of meteors were seen streaking through the sky and impacting not far from them, with plumes of smoke marking their location.

Mario balled his fists. He was going to have to do this if he was to free the Mushroom populace from the oncoming menace, which in the end, were hardly Bowser and his armies. The destruction of the Galaxy, that space station built to contain the coming doom that awaited the world, had let loose the plans of those who intended to survive the oncoming destruction. Mario knew that the Destroyer, which had arrived in their star system would destroy such plans in the short term, but wondered...

Bowser on the other hand, was not thinking about Mario, but rather the situation he found himself in. It seemed that memories from his childhood had suddenly become apparent to him, up to his crowning as king. Bowser knew that they could never know the Wand of the Blood had cured him. He became aware of the script laid out for him to play. But upon remembering them, Bowser knew they never created an ending, just a result. There at least, he may be able to change something and his children would have a brighter future...not controlled by them.

"The script is written Mario! Let's finish this once and for all!" said Bowser, and clenched his fist into a glowing ball of purple flame.

Mario narrowed his eyes. "Yes, it's obvious." With fists of flame, the plumber jumped head on into the giant oncoming fist of King Bowser, ready to end it all.


	3. 19: Status Quo

A large regal portrait of Bowser, donned in a modern outfit was grabbed by multiple hands before being thrown down from the wall. Amidst the shouting and overall disorder of the museum, another Koopa took a blowtorch and proceeded to burn the picture with much delight from those who stood witness. Many other Bowser relics are taken from their perches and smashed. Outside the museum, many with hammers defaced the Bowser statues lining the entrance, effectively knocking them over with considerable cheer.

The Museum was one of many buildings that were being defaced by a large number of protectors, who's years of anger boiled over into an illogical fit of rage. They were like a sea, stretching in all directions and crawled wherever Bowser had spread his kingdom, destroying everything they could in their wake. The only things seemingly not trashed were televisions, which commonly held the views of a good number as they learned the truth to what's happening in their reality. Coupled with their reduced lifestyles, they were none to happy.

Out on the streets, many people marched, demanding the resignation of Bowser and his clone. Those parts of the army sent to restore order had the opposite occur and were harassed away from their posts.

Above, passing all of this commotion were a fleet of airships, commanded by Bowser Koopa Junior. Sitting on his seat, he was now much older than in the past, now considered to be in his teenage years. With long horns and a growing red mane, he looked remarkably similar to his father's sake, though his eyes and snout were a bit narrower.

Junior gripped his wand, the Wand of the Earth: a long platinum rod etched with sacred writings with a large red ruby on its end. With it, he had become the so-called King of the Koopas, though many seemed to contest this. While his eldest advisors urged him to go through the proper ceremony to cement his title, he was confident in his position despite growing public protest. Though he had sent his own forces in and authorized the use of violence, it seemed to make things worse.

"They call for your abdication, sire." said a Koopatrol.

Junior also didn't know why his father would abandon him and his family. Though he had been given the wand of his father with much confusion, Bowser had said nothing about the coming changes to the planet. Why didn't Bowser tell him about this earlier? If he had, then the riot could have been prevented.

A rumble through the bridge roused him from his reflection.

"Sir, we have confirmed fire from Roy."

Indeed, his older brothers fleet was approaching him from the south, and in between lay a large army of civilians, seemingly marching with him.

"Oh, so that's how its gonna be?" Junior said. "Fire!" All at once, his fleet fired innumerable cannonballs at Roy's airships and the two began to exchange fire. Compared to Bowser's fully plated ship, Roy's ship was taking a number of hits. It was clear that he hadn't prepared for it.

"You see? This is why I took dad's ship!" Junior said aloud. "I knew they'd try, but they aren't string enough for the real heir to the Koopa Kingdom!" He turned to one of his lieutenants. "Has there been any sign of the eldest?"

"No sir." said a Ptooie. "We have placed the wanted ads all over the media as requested, but so far we have learned nothing of his whereabouts. There have been no sightings of his militia or intelligence within our borders either."

"Hmph. It's only a matter of time before he decides to show his ugly mug. And by then, he wont even be a real threat." Junior looked out the window towards Roy's smoking airship. "Don't worry. I'll take them down one by one until they're all under my control. That blue haired freak will be all alone with not a chance to steal my seat." Junior chuckled as he maneuvered his airship to make the final blows.

However, Junior was too engrossed in the moment to notice another fleet approaching from the south. With the capital ship clad with pink decor, it was obvious to who it was. Seated upon a silver and pink throne was Wendy O. Koopa, with what appeared to be servant koopas servicing her in a variety of ways.

In her mind, the battle was already decided. All that she had to do was make sure Ludwig was nowhere in the vicinity and the throne would be hers. Besides, she was a far better choice than that runt of a Koopa.

"Why are we moving so slow?" she complained to frightened mechanics. "We should be at the castle by now!"

"W-we have spotted Juniors fleet, your highness." said one of the pilots. "He seems to be in a battle with Roy at the moment."

The Koopa princess hummed to herself. "I could take out both of them here right now..." she murmured aloud.

"Y-Your highness!" said the startled pilot.

"Tch. You think Ludwig is going to come up here and like, beat up all of us and take the castle in one stroke? He's the most wanted Koopa in the world right now. Like, if I were in his shoes, I'd be so far away from the Koopa Kingdom. I wouldn't go near it."

The pilot cleared his throat and returned to his duties. Wendy stood up and observed the battle that lay in the distance. With her brother weakened, she could easily take both of them out, but...

"It's time to throw some hammers." she said, smiling sadistically.

Out on her deck stood hundreds of hammer brothers, ready for the assault. Receiving a signal, one of them took a microphone.

"Today's forecast: Sunny with a chance of hammers!" With that, all of the bros started throwing hammers into the air towards Junior's nearby airship. By the time his troopas had noticed, it was too late. Hundreds of hammers fell from the sky, denting and destroying much of the vessel.

"Sir, Wendy has come up from the south! Shes throwing hammers!"

"I see she's throwing hammers!" shouted Junior. "Screw this. I'm unleashing my ultimate weapon!" With that, the front of the ship parted ways, revealing a gigantic cannon, larger than the one's used in Bowser's '89 invasion. Before the other Koopalings could react, the cannon fired, unleashing a massive cannonball that smashed through Roy's ship like it was a toy. The civilian army struggled to evade the falling debris that suddenly rained down upon them, with many headed in nearby buildings to escape the carnage. But the ball didn't stop there. In the line of fire, Wendy's stern was torn away by the same ball and a number of sirens went off in the bridge.

"We're hit on the starboard side!" said a rocky wrench, but Wendy was already running down the hall. Amidst the chaos that erupted from the blast with workers unsuccessfully trying to doze the flames, Wendy saw what she was looking for. Hopping into a Clown Car, she immediately took off from the sinking wreck just moments before a large explosion erupted through the hall.

Looking around, Wendy saw that Junior's secret weapon had created a gigantic mess below. Just outside Koopa City was a raining wreck of wood and fire that came from all directions. Dodging most of the debris, she spotted Roy below, dashing to what appeared to be one of his military contingents that were grouping together. She flew up next to him and Roy looked over, looking annoyed.

"And here I thought Wendy had a chance." he said sarcastically.

"Oh shut up! How was I supposed to know he had daddy's fleet?" countered Wendy.

"Give him a magic colonic." said Roy, but Wendy rolled her eyes. "Alright listen, I'm gatherin' and will attack dad's ship. We need to get him on the ground, get it?"

"Yeah I get it." replied Wendy. "Even though that ship is like, invincible."

Roy smirked. "Heh. Don't matter if its dad's ship, your ship, whatever. It's going down."

"Oh yeah? I'd like to see you pull that off." said Wendy. They arrived at Roy's small encampment: an earth trench made up of survivors of the wreckage. There were few civilians left at that point, most scared off by the wreckage of Roy's airship to flee the scene. Wendy jumped out of the clown car and observed planning with his troops with some amusement.

"Alright, let's do this. When he gets lured in, blast em where it hurts." said Roy.

"Yes sir!" said the Koopa Troopas. Each had some kind of bazooka strapped to their back with jackets of red bullet bills strapped over their shoulders.

Wendy eyed the soldiers and looked unimpressed. "Dad's ship can take that." she muttered.

"Heh. You never seen dis before." Coincidentally, an airship was heard hovering overhead. Everyone fell silent as as they readied their cannons. Bowser's ship seemed to hover low, looking for them.

"That's him. Wait for da signal." hissed Roy. The ship moved slowly past and Wendy grew impatient.

"He's obviously doesn't see us, so why not blast him now?" said Wendy.

"Wait for it..." The ship had nearly past them, and the roar of the engines were heard throughout.

"Now!" commanded Roy, and a dozen soldiers fired their red bullet bills. They all simultaneously flew towards the ship's engine exhaust and detonated. A large explosion billowed through the ship, and fire spurt through all the windows. Seconds later, another explosion billowed up into the sky, splitting the ship in two pieces.

"And that's half da battle." said Roy, grinning. "Now we can fight him down here."

But the rest surrounding him were silent, including Wendy herself. A certain terror swept over them, wondering what Bowser would do if he would return at this moment. Wendy was not sure if Roy was just overconfident or he actually did have a plan, but regardless it was a good maneuver.

The remains of the ship crashed into the ground not far from them and survivors were seen trying to escape the wreckage. One of them stood up and let out a huge growl of anger. Pulling out the glowing Wand of the Earth, Bowser Junior turned to the one responsible for destroying dad's ship.

"I gave you a chance, and this is your response?" he said, walking towards Roy. "You do know that these people can't live on their own with no ruler, no leader. There would be chaos everywhere. Just look at Bowser. He deserts his kingdom for what?"

"That shouldn't be surprisin'." said Roy. "What is surprisin' is you taking his seat so fast. What made you take it all of a sudden, huh?"

Junior glared at the two, and it seemed to Wendy that there was a faint red glimmer in his eyes. The Wand pulsed briefly before falling quiet again and suddenly, her perception of the world twisted into some darker form than she knew.

"It doesn't matter." replied Junior. "All that matters is that you follow my command. The riots have to be controlled or there will be nothing for us when the shift comes."

"Wait, how did-" Wendy started, but her head swooned and she fell into darkness.

With that, Roy, without a word, made a salute and marched up to his men to relay his commands. It was sometime however before Wendy did the same, a brief glimmer of red in her eyes before turning her heel and walking back to the Clown Car.

Junior smirked. "All too easy." he remarked to himself. It was only a matter of time before the rest of the family came under his control. Most of them would be easy to seduce.

"_Do not forget the eldest." said a voice. "He is the most dangerous. Find him and destroy him."_

"_What about Larry?" asked Junior._

"_We will break him." _said the voice before Junior disappeared in a flash of purple.


	4. 20: Farewell

A persistent, metallic thunk disturbed the otherwise quiet snowy slopes of the mountains. Just below the tree line, wedged between two pine trees was an escape pod rocking back and forth. With each hit, the circular door to the craft caved outwards more and more until finally it flew off its hinges and rolled down the hill, clanging against the rocks as it went.

Out stepped a tired and beaten Luigi, not quite sure just where he was at the moment. He didn't know how long he had been unconscious, but considering his growling stomach it must have been at least half the day, seeing the afternoon sun lowering before him.

Luigi looked at his surroundings and saw he had stopped right before a cliff drop, between two pines nesting just before the overhang. His luck had held out, as he recognized the Mushroom Range behind him, the border between the Mushroom Kingdom and the Kong Jungles. He was just below the tree line, and if he had been knocked by that other ship just a bit farther he would've easily been in Donkey Kong's turf.

That made him remember what happened. When the Galaxy broke up, taking the escape pod back into orbit, trying to contact Daisy and then getting knocked away...was that Bowser? Luigi knew that Bowser was on Mario's tail, probably to get his hands on Peach again. It wouldn't be a surprise if that was the case.

In any event, Luigi looked out towards the western horizon and saw he was indeed far from Peach's castle and it'd take him quite a while to arrive. "I hope she's safe..." Luigi said to himself, worried for Peach's safety. But in truth, he was more worried about his own girl, who he had lost contact with during his descent. He decided to take this one step at a time and first find a way back to the Mushroom Kingdom.

But as he looked out over the western horizon, he saw a dark cloud growing against the sky with purple lightning lashing forth. From it came a gigantic Bowser with a loud roar that nearly made Luigi trip backwards. Clearly his arch-nemesis had survived. But that meant only one thing: Peach was in trouble.

Luigi was never the one to take the initiative. He always let Mario take the lead in these things, but something told him this was urgent. He didn't know where Mario was at that moment, but he had to do his duty.

Inhaling, he ran towards the cliff and high jumped off it, falling through the air. Spying a row of ? Blocks below him hovering in mid air, he maneuvered himself and landed on one. To his luck, one of them contained a feather. Armed with a cape, he ran off the ? blocks and jumped, opening his cape in the air. He easily soared past the rest of the steep mountain sides and the enemies that walked its surface.

Luigi crash landed a few miles from the mountain, not far from a lake. He never got the landing part of flying down and Mario always criticized him for it. Getting up and brushing off his overalls, Luigi ran in the direction of the black thundercloud that shrouded the main Mushroom Kingdom proper. Stomping on Troopas and Goombas, Luigi thought he could make out the tiny form of his brother, a red and blue dot against the demonic giant, pitted in a battle not unlike David and Goliath.

Thinking, he darted to the side and started bumping through a series of ? Blocks to stock up on the inevitable battle. His luck held out again: after a series of coins, he pocketed a star man and continued to run towards the battle in front of him.

As he ran closer towards a forest, he saw several bright red lights appear in the sky, not far from the battle. Luigi realized that they were meteors, but whether they were drawn to Bowser's evil aura or if they were from the orbit of the Destroyer, he did not know. In any event, they streaked through the sky, flashing brightly before impacting the ground far away. The ground rumbled with each impact and Luigi struggled to stay afoot. In front of him, Mario grew to giant size, though was still half a leg shorter than that demon of a Koopa. Bowser's fiery breath had set much of the forest on fire and Luigi struggled to enter it, having to bounce on top of wigglers as they retreated from the burning blaze. After a triple jump, Luigi went airborne again with his cape before something happened.

A large meteor suddenly appeared above the duo before smashing into the ground, sending a large plume of debris and fire into the air. The explosion made Luigi lose his senses, and he fell to the forest floor in a daze. As the plume cleared, he saw the two fighters had disappeared and all was suddenly still.

Luigi feared the worst. He knew that nothing outside of a Star Rod or a wish from Star Haven could survive that impact. He cringed his teeth and sprinted forward.

"MARIO!" he cried, but received no response, save the dying fires that lay behind him. He ran as fast as he could through the now darkened forests, with dark dust clouds blocking out the sun.

He ran for what seemed like ages until the forest suddenly terminated into a large crater, nearly a mile in circumference. Looking below, he saw Mario and Bowser, lying still in the dirt with a distressed Peach between them, sobbing to herself. The dead bodies of Bowser's troops surrounded them all, as if the whole area was a bubble of a fallen battlefield.

At first Luigi could not believe what he saw and thought that perhaps his bro needed a 1-up, and frowned for not remembering to pick one up for him. But before he started he heard the noise of machinery, and on the right lip of the crater he saw metallic vehicles roll up. A door opened and a Koopa with large blue hair stepped out before pausing and seeing the situation for himself. It wasn't until he suddenly bolted down the crater that Luigi did likewise.

Sliding down the dirt, Luigi jumped over various corpses, trying to outrun the Koopaling to the princess. But as he approached, it became apparent their paths were different as Ludwig had darted directly to Bowser.

Ignoring him for a moment, Luigi ran up to the princess and placed his arms on her shoulders. "Peach! Are you okay?"

She did not look up. Her tears continued to fall, his words had fallen onto deaf ears. Luigi dreaded the next moment and almost did not want to look. He already knew what lay there, and again regretted not finding a 1-up before he arrived. A quick glance confirmed his suspicions: it was his brother, bloodied and severely injured. He did not appear to be breathing.

He slowly walked over, dreading the worst. Indeed, Mario was not breathing and it seemed his legs were half buried in the dirt. He was going to need help pulling him out.

"I...know this face..."

Luigi looked behind him: it was Bowser, who had also sustained terrible injuries. His shell had been cracked open with a long vertical split down the center. From what Luigi knew of the Koopa's, that was the equivalent of the death penalty. Ludwig was now looming over him with a sad look.

"You had been struck by a meteor." began Ludwig, "Part of a swarm sent from the Destroyer."

"When did you get so big?" Bowser said, coughing up blood.

"Hmm?" The Koopaling hummed to himself. "We have all grown into ourselves, although I will admit, Lemmy's growth hormonal dysfunction leaves much to be desired."

"We? You were the only one I had." replied Bowser.

"What?" It became apparent to Ludwig that this wasn't simple amnesia.

"You were little before I...took it." he continued. "You might not remember. Those damn magicians put a spell on me and everyone ever since I took the wand. I don't know how long I've played their games, but..." He reached for something. "I feel they have another one to take my place."

"...that would be Junior," said Ludwig, "Your clone. To be honest, I had always wondered why he was created in the first place."

"That's his name!" growled Bowser. "They made me give it to him. That's against the rules and they know it!" Bowser's body shook from too much pain and lay still again.

"Please try to rest." said Ludwig. "I will call the infirm-"

"No!" Bowser interrupted. "Listen to me! They will achieve their ends if I don't say anything about it."

"Who is this 'they?'" inquired Ludwig.

Bowser sighed. "My journal says it all, but here's the short hand. They have ruled our family for generations. Some say since the last shift, I don't know. They are not to be crossed. They have powers far beyond anything I can imagine. I tried to take them down with the Earth Wand back when I was a princeling, and the next thing I know I'm lying here bleeding to death."

Ludwig said nothing.

"Do not take them lightly! They will use us and all of our descendants who can wield the two wands to get what they want. Junior is their next puppet, just like how I was their last. Damn them! Damn them to the abyss!" The king coughed up more blood and more began to run out of his shell.

"I have...one vivid memory." started Ludwig. "Of a place near the Divine Cathedral. You were escorting my person through the underground and we came across-"

"Creatures." said Bowser. "I remember that. They are servants of the...Society..."

"The Society?"

"That's what I call them. I do not...know their real name..." Bowser's body suddenly limped. Ludwig rushed to him, but found he was still breathing. Ludwig gathered himself.

"Your life was not in vain, father." said Ludwig. "It will be due to your eternal staunchness against their agenda that we will prevail. The Kingdom, and the world will finally walk again without their presence."

Bowser nodded and reached for something inside his broken shell. "Take this." Bowser handed Ludwig his own personal wand. "It will be useful for...many things. Kamek...can tell..." Bowser groaned. "Sorry for..." He painfully turned the other way. "I'm sorry..."

Peach stopped crying and looked up.

"Peach..." He reached out his hand. "Forgive...me..."

She looked away at first, but an instinct, a gut feeling made her look back. All of it was too much for her, but she had to say something.

"It's okay. It's all over now." she managed a weak smile.

"Yes...see you...soon." His head fell and his chest stopped moving. There was a long silence and it seemed that something great had ended that to them, that had filled up their whole lives with a sense of purpose. Now taken from them, to see something beyond, they knew not what to say.

Ludwig tilted his head to the sky and watched the dark clouds part, revealing the setting sun against the western horizon. He murmured something to himself before looking back down at the corpse of his father.

Luigi snapped out of his trance and turned back to Mario. He looked around for any sign of help, but they were surrounded by corpses, and there was no one on the edge of the crater to be seen.

"Peach..." Luigi began, but Ludwig abruptly stepped up to them.

"Your highness, I fear you may only hear these words once." said Ludwig. "For all that my father has done to you and your kingdom, I sincerely apologize. It is unfortunate that the circumstances do not allow me the proper ability now, but when I acquire it...I will bring this atrocity to an end. I neither desire your person nor your people."

Peach smiled weakly, but could not find the words to respond and instead nodded in place.

Ludwig turned to Luigi. "It seems our paths are set. You no longer have to worry over such petty acts that consisted of my father's administration. You may now save the one waiting for you, while I must accomplish a destiny that...even I'm unsure is even possible."

"The one waiting..." Luigi murmured, but it soon hit him. "Daisy!"

"Yes." said Ludwig. "As I descended through the troposphere, I had spotted a vessel of-" A large rumble interrupted him, and as both looked around them they saw above a fresh wave of incoming meteors headed towards them.

"It was headed towards her homeland." Ludwig finished, turning and dashing back up towards his strange vehicle. "I wish you luck!" he cried back as he neared the lip of the crater.

Luigi sighed and re-examined the situation around him. Peach had stopped crying and was watching the two speak previous, but was now looking at the incoming meteor swarm with worry. Mario had to be dug up and brought back, but there was no help to get them out. Luigi could try to pull him out, but he knew...

"Princess, hurry! We must get back to the castle." said Luigi.

"Mario..." she sighed, too sorrowful for her loss to make a move.

"We can get him later." reasoned Luigi. "I'll get a 1-up, and then he will be okay."

Just as soon as he finished, a loud noise was heard above them; clearly, luck was against Luigi that day. Another meteor was headed straight towards them, filling all the sky above them red.

Luigi had little time to think. He knew that they wouldn't make it in time to the lip of the crater at this rate. Luigi had to do something, but he was at a loss. Mario would not survive another impact and neither he nor the Princess would. He did not see any warp pipes in the vicinity.

But he suddenly remembered his star man. Perhaps that and his cape would do, but...

The noise snapped him back, and the temperature suddenly rose. Time seemed to slow down. He reached into his pocket and tossed the star man towards Peach. At the very least, she would be the one who would live. Luigi knew he would be seeing his brother very soon, if heaven even existed at all in this world.

Suddenly, Luigi's clothes grew bright and vibrated different colors: Peach had tossed it back to him!

"What? Peach! WHY?" shouted Luigi.

She closed her eyes. "I cannot be saved anymore, Luigi. All of my heroes have fallen, and so has my heart." She looked up at Luigi and smiled. "But you still have someone else waiting for you. Please take care of her..."

"WHY?" he shouted again. Why couldn't he save anybody that mattered to him? The answer never came as the meter hit the ground he stood upon and all became a sea of dirt and ash before darkness fell over him.


	5. 21: Chess Game

He awoke from his nightmare. The glassy black majesty hovered over him, radiating the rays of dawn through the open archways surrounding the chamber. The curtains that covered them blew with the incoming breeze, which also rattled an unrolled parchment that lay on a desk in the far corner: Kamek's letter.

Finally, with a growl King Larry Koopa sat up and looked at the western horizon. It was a silence he needed after what he had seen. But Larry knew to take his dreams seriously. Ever since taking the Wand of the Blood, visions and dreams befell him like an impenetrable maze and half his time he now dedicated to sorting it all out. The other half, for his survival site.

Remembering this, Larry got out of his bed and looked at himself in a mirror. Yep, the horns were still there and so was his new height. He was still the King of the Blood, and he still lived inside the Eternal Fortress Genlic. He had an illogical impulse to check every morning...just in case. He still didn't fully believe it, to be on par with his father King Bowser-

He cringed as his memories returned from the night before. He remembered seeing a great battle in the Mushroom Kingdom between the legendary two arch rivals and then darkness. In his mind, he could not see the spitting image of Bowser or know his whereabouts, an ability he had inherited upon his ascension. Larry pulled out the wand, a long glassy black mass that noticeably lacked any gem or sphere at its tip. Instead, within was a cascading rainbow of colors awash in a dance, which acted as the wand's material foothold.

With a few words, the wand suddenly glowed white before returning to its former state. Larry was right. His father's magic signature was nowhere to be found.

"Man, I hope not." he muttered to himself. He was indifferent to Bowser's decision to hand the kingdom over to Junior, as he got along well enough with Junior. But with the recent events unfolding in the Koopa Kingdom and how his little brother was poorly managing the riots, Larry wondered if that was the best choice. Larry thought about Ludwig, using his ability to see other members of the family just by using his mind. but just like the night before, he couldn't make out his location. Being hunted down by Junior was not something Larry had agreed to begin with, but he understood the reasons and wondered what Ludwig had done to mask himself from his presence.

Larry walked to a more transparent wall, which almost immediately devolved back into the surrounding glass, allowing him passage. Walking through the hall, he thought about his other siblings and what they were doing. Morton seemed to be defying himself against Junior, camping himself not far from Bowser's Castle, awaiting his imminent return. But it was when Larry thought of Roy when he abruptly stopped walking.

Roy's behavior had changed. He was no longer fighting Junior. Instead, he was with Wendy, who had apparently also changed: they were traveling with Junior towards Bowser's Castle. Amazingly, he seemed to be even praising his little brother, which Larry didn't make sense of. What did Junior do, mind control them? If so, Larry realized that Junior was not what he appeared to be at all. In a sense, he was thankful that Junior was not yet King of the Earth; he was in name, but not of body. He had yet to undertake that ceremony, and Larry knew that was the reason he was headed back.

Larry started walking again, feeling his stomach growling. He was going to have to do something about this, as it appeared Junior suddenly possessed Bowser's personality out of nowhere. But that would have to wait until he had breakfast. Passing through an archway, he walked over to a circular recess in the floor and muttered something to himself.

With a clunk, the floor moved down for several moments before stopping some floors below. After walking through another hallway, he arrived at his destination: the upper eatery. A large room, it housed a long dining table smothered in red velvet that seated at least 50 people total, including Larry's cushy seat on one end. As Larry sat down, he took a glance across and saw that about 15 had managed to wake themselves up and crawl all the way up here. This included some of his new staff that he had hired, as he didn't want the survival group to volunteer for positions due to his affairs. As much as possible, he would have to fulfill two roles at once without one getting in the way of the other.

"Morning." said Mona, who looked more than half asleep. She pointed to something in the middle of the table. "I made maple sugar rolls."

"Nice." commented Larry.

"Hi boss." said Kooper with a mouthful. "I have a bunch of news for you."

"Yeah, me too. But I have to wake up first or I'll be speaking another language." Larry poured himself a glass of wine and took a sip.

"Some people are doing that already." said Kooper. "I mean, not a lot, but...they speak in tongues. You can hear them before they drift off for the night."

"They're going loco." muttered Mona, biting off a bun. "Cause they've turned into farmers and their McKoopa's are gone."

"It's okay." said Bombette. "We planned for insanity, right?"

"Yeah." said Kooper. "Well, we have a room."

"The gymnasium, right?" asked Larry. "They'll just bounce off the walls in there, or play dodgeball for 15 hours a day. That's what Lemmy would do all the time." He sipped his wine. "Any news about that little announcement I did yesterday?"

"Oh, you bet there is. Never mind the amount of people that decided to show up after that."

"More came?" A day earlier, Larry had announced himself to the Koopa Kingdom as the next King of the Blood.

"That, and Junior made a public response."

"Oh really? Let's see it." On the ceiling and high up on the walls were a number of holographic projectors, and all of them turned on to show the mug of Junior as he appeared on state television the night prior.

"After an eternity, the King of the Blood has returned to us." said Junior. "While there will only be one King of the Koopas, myself, I still welcome Larry into the ever growing Koopa Kingdom. Best of luck to you!"

"That's it?" muttered Larry. "Obviously he doesn't give a shit. No messages for me today, right?"

A butler bowed close by. "No sir, nothing has arrived."

"No personal congrats, no nothing...except some formal recognition." Larry drank his wine. He had made it himself, having discovered the wonders of mixing his gardening and alcoholic knowledge together. It was bitter, but at least it was drinkable now, unlike his last batch. "Yeah." He would have to check his email later just in case, but he doubted Junior would say anything else.

"Alright, let's do the morning report." said Larry. With that, the projector images shifted from Junior's face to a holographic model of Genlic itself. Situated upon a rocky hill, it was anything but the definition of a brick and mortar fortress: it seemed to be blown from volcanic glass, with its twisting curves rising up to form spires at the top. A gargantuan work of art, it was the oldest Koopa structure known to exist on the surface.

"For today..." Kooper started, shuffling through some papers, "The current population count is 10,941, residing in levels 3 through 52, as well as B3 to B10. There are no major incidences within the last day, however there have been increasing trends towards eccentric behavior. They have not been classified as insane as of yet, but we'll keep an eye on the situation. Food production has increased 3% due to the influx of the latest batch that arrived a week ago. The biggest change is the surplus of wheat of about 28% on level B43, and the 1-up patches are down by about 7%."

"That's too large." said Larry. "Is there any way to get rid of all that?"

There was silence for a moment, then the sound of a finger snap was heard. "I've got an idea!" said Mona, a few seats down.

"Shoot."

"I'll start a pizza shop. That'll take care of your overstuffs, and I know there's some tomatoes we started growing a few floors below that one."

"Well, I'm not refusing that."

"I wouldn't let you anyway."

"Heh." Larry turned back to Kooper. "How's the water volume, for the irrigation?"

"Hmmm..." Kooper pressed a few buttons and the holograms shifted to a display of the irrigation network throughout Genlic, with pipes extending beneath the complex for nearly a mile to an underground reservoir. "We're using about 2 million gallons a day for irrigation now and that's getting near the refresh rate for the river."

"I see. So our population cap is getting close..."

"You could say that." said Kooper.

"And those people near the gates yesterday...?"

"Oh yeah, that." Kooper shifted the image to the front gates of Genlic, which depicted a large morass of people that seemed to have set up camp just outside. More seemed to be arriving in the distance.

Larry tapped his claws on the table. He knew this was an unavoidable consequence from his announcement to the Koopa Kingdom. Even though he had not disclosed his location, it didn't matter as it was well known in Koopa history. The problem, the tough part was how to exactly deal with them.

"If they're staying anywhere near this place, then they have to know we won't feed them." finally said Larry. "You start that once, you'll never hear the end of it. Of course, they can build settlements around this place if they wish, but they have to know that I'm the authority around here."

"Are you sure not giving them any help is a good idea?" questioned Bombette.

"The last thing I want are lame, ragtag armies trying to overtake this place."

"That's probably going to happen at some point anyway." said Bombette. "But I'm not talking about food. I'm talking about healing & teaching them stuff."

"That'll make them stay here." muttered Mona. "And if they don't have anything to eat, of course they're going to rattle at us. Did you see how dry the ground is out there? They wont be able to grow anything."

"Exactly, which is why it's better to send them off somewhere else." said Larry.

"Yeah, but where?" asked Mona.

Larry then saw the greater problem facing him: not just from turning away travelers looking for shelter, but advising them on where to proceed. Advising people from Wario's territories was easy enough, but never mind the refugees that had started to come in from the Koopa Kingdom. After it was all said and done, that entire area would be uninhabitable and the Koopa's would be a wandering people until they found a new home.

"Most of your people are here now, right?" asked Larry.

"Well, yeah. Doesn't mean more won't try to come up here, though."

"I hope they don't. No offense or anything..."

"Yeah, I get it." she muttered to herself. She knew how fishy many of the residents of Diamond City were.

"But I have a Kingdom of panicking residents to deal with, and they're already starting to arrive here. Seeing how the Koopa Kingdom is going to be devastated in the near future, this is probably nothing compared to what will probably happen."

"But they can't stay here." Kooper put bluntly. "There's not enough room."

"Well, when this war is over, I'm planning on chatting with my bros and figuring out a battle plan for this. We have to set up migration routes. I set aside some room here for that time, but that'll require another announcement."

"Like Junior would allow that." snorted Mona.

"But you forget Mona, " Larry said smiling, "I'm the head of my family now. If I want to announce the coming of Naru to everybody, then I'll announce the coming of Naru to everybody."

"I don't know, is that really a good idea?" asked Kooper, biting into a roll. "Especially since we don't even have strong leadership over there at the moment."

"I think people have more than enough clues to figure this out." said Larry. "Like the weather. Let's bring that up."

The next thing that appeared on the holo displays was a list of ongoing weather and issues relating to the Earth changes. Many people shook their heads at the lengthy list, which included numerous flooding reports over washed out coastal cities, landslides in mountain towns across the planet, severe storms and a list of the most powerful earthquakes within the past 48 hours.

"Well, I meant about controlling themselves." stated Kooper. "I understand that someone with open eyes can easily figure this stuff out. But..."

"What's happening in the Koopa Kingdom is not the prime example, you know." said Larry. "What Bowser set up is coming undone, and his old cabinet doesn't want that. It wont come out in the Koopa Kingdom at first, but if you've been keeping tabs on the Mushroom Kingdom lately, you can see they've been taking this pretty well...besides that little thing my dad did. None of it is official though, nothing broadcast."

"That's what I meant." said Kooper. "This is all in whispers. You can announce your presence to everyone, but as disasters increase and things continue to break down-"

Larry didn't hear the rest of it as a dull pain suddenly ripped through his mind. Tall priests with long black robes filled his vision, with their hoods covering their heads. He saw a large room lit by candles and torches, and in the center was a circle of them chanting in a language he did not know. A priest with black robes lined with gold suddenly stood up and slowly turned his neck. Larry realized his predicament and tried to will himself out of the situation.

He opened his eyes and found himself back at Genlic, still seated in the great dining hall.

"...Larry?" said Kooper, looking puzzled. Larry shook his head.

"Another spell..." Larry managed to say, rubbing his forehead. "I have to cut this short and figure out what's going on."

"...Sounds good to me." Kooper replied. "I'll take care of the rest."

With that, Larry got up from his seat and quickly walked out of the dining room. Entering the room from where he came, he moved the circular floor up a floor to a hall ending with two petal-like doors, which instantly folded back upon his arrival.

"Be careful."

Larry turned and saw the source of the voice: Ashley. Having passed away not too long ago from her crash landing, she was now a spirit that "looked over things" inside Genlic, though Larry didn't exactly know why as of yet. But he guessed she must have sensed that latest psychic attack on him.

"Thanks." he said, hurriedly moving along into the chamber. Ashley momentarily watched him pass before her form disappeared.

Inside the room was the large black sphere, floating near the ceiling and abuzz with many spirits wisping this way and that inside, all bickering with each other in some argument. Below this was a black globe a bit smaller in size that rested atop a pedestal jutting from the floor, and nothing was seen within it. As soon as Larry approached, they calmed themselves into silence.

"This is the second time I've been probed by this group." said Larry. "Who are they?"

"We have sensed their attack." said one.

"It has been anticipated for some time." said another, finishing the first.

"If not inevitable." said a third. They all spoke in at most a few sentences.

"So, was it the Magikoopa Council you guys were talking about?" asked Larry.

"While they directly controlled your father, they are but a front." said another.

"The hierarchy of your race runs deep."

"There are those who consider you a possible threat to their plans."

"They stand above the world like giants of the shadows. Felt, but not recognized."

"It is they who your father had risen up against in his youth."

Larry remembered his dream from the night before. While vague now, he remembered parts of Bowser's and Ludwig's last conversation.

"He failed, right?" asked Larry, trying to remember.

"So did all before him." said one.

"For millenia they have dictated your policies."

"And all those who did not align with their greater plan were thrown aside, like mere pawns in a chess game."

"And Junior's their latest piece." Larry said to himself, nodding.

"They intend on maintaining the status quo for as long as possible." said another.

"But be aware that it is dangerous to scry their intentions from afar. They are able to detect such motives."

"Just as how you were able to see their last attempt to read your mind."

"So, that was them." Larry said. "And what do they want with me?"

"Why has the Magikoopa Council retained the Wand of the Blood for over 500 years?" asked one of them.

"...good point." Larry muttered.

"Your position was a threat in the past." said another.

"And so it was eliminated. They attempted to erase all knowledge of it from history, but that is futile."

"But with your unexpected return, you now pose a threat to their final plan."

With a wave of his hand, the black globe suddenly came to life, showing an image of the Mushroom World. The Koopa Kingdom was seen in the north, easily spotted from its blackish morass of rock that it was surrounded by. Below this, a strait separated it and the main Mushroom Continent, which included the Mushroom Kingdom, the Kong territories to the west and the Yoshi Isles that lay to the south. To the east side of the globe was a continent that stretched itself from south to north, before being broken by a similar strait across the main Koopa landmass. On the northern edge of this atop a mountain of solid rock was the Eternal Fortress Genlic.

"We will tell you more about them when they aren't currently watching us."

Larry judged the weight of those words. "Alright." he managed to say. He knew that he and his other siblings could have an edge over these guys if they played their moves right. Larry now knew that the purple aura that had always surrounded Bowser was one of their manifestations, one of their ways of controlling others. That was one way of detecting who was "under the influence." Bowser and now Junior were prime examples.

At the same time, Larry was almost positive that nearly none of his other siblings had any knowledge of their fates, nor of the powers behind the Wand of the Earth. In effect, he was going to have to guide their moves for them, but he was going to have to be discreet about it.

"Roy." said Larry, and instantly a purple aura in the shape of Roy appeared inside the globe, within the boundaries of the Koopa Kingdom. He was surrounded by Junior and what appeared to be Wendy's purple aura, slowly moving northward towards the castle. Larry sighed. His visions had been correct.

"He is headed towards Bowser's Castle along with Wendy and Bowser Junior." said one of the ghosts.

"The latter will undergo the Earth ceremony soon."

Larry nodded. Junior was only a king in name. He would not become the true King of the Earth until such a ceremony was held at the Divine Cathedral, where he would inherit the horns of the king. But that just made Larry wonder where Junior's horns had come from in the first place. None of his other siblings seemed to have them. For now, he decided to focus on his siblings. Two of them were already under the control of the same group that now controlled Junior.

"Morton." said Larry. Inside the globe, the three aura's disappeared and a red one manifested not far to the east of Bowser's Castle. It did not move. The fact that Morton retained his magic signature was a good sign, and probably meant he had some clue as to what's going on. Larry's vision of him certainly told him that as well.

So, he had one sibling he could use to stop Junior.

"Ludwig." said Larry, and Morton's aura disappeared. But nothing of Ludwig's aura was to be seen. That made things even more puzzling. Just a day before, he had been clearly visible in the Mushroom Kingdom, just like what he had seen the night previous. But he disappeared afterwards. Though Larry could see Ludwig's surroundings now, they were dark and nothing could be easily made out.

"What is going on with Ludwig?" asked Larry.

"He is taking all precautions." said one.

"He knows what he is up against, to an extent."

"Given his current situation, he will probably not be found unless he unveils himself deliberately."

Larry knew that his brother had effectively become the most wanted Koopa in the world and that he'd probably try to plan against his capture, but what that plan was Larry did not know. He moved on to something that's been bothering him lately, as he had not been able to see him at all since his crowning.

"Iggy." said Larry. Iggy's aura showed up somewhere in Diamond City. Suddenly, another aura with Iggy's magic signature appeared outside of Peach's Castle. Yet another was seen in the middle of the Southern Mushroom ocean. The exact same aura kept appearing all over the globe in a random fashion seemingly regardless of location, until the number was well over 200 and counting. Larry made a face at the sight.

"What the hell does this mean?" he asked. But the spirits were whispering amongst themselves and did not answer immediately. Eventually, an older spirit with a gray beard appeared within the larger globe.

"If I believe this to be the case...then it is best not to disclose _his _situation at this time. I recommend proceeding with what's in front of you." Considering what they had said earlier about being watched, Larry decided not to press the issue further.

"Okay. Lemmy." said Larry. The hundreds of Iggy aura's disappeared to make way for Lemmy's aura to show in a rather peculiar spot. Larry looked at it for a moment, then smiled. Junior's chances just went downhill dramatically.

"Okay, let's speak with Morton first." he said as he prepared his words for what will ultimately become an intricate chess game with his unseen foes. The black globe shifted to white and prepared to transmit to Morton's wand.


	6. 22: The Clown Prince

From the still darkness came two moving lights, each held by one scaly hand. Clothed in black robes and hoods that covered their faces, they were tall beings, bowing before the height of the ceiling as they shuffled across the ancient corridor to their destination. Arriving at a set of old iron doors, they quickly whispered something amongst themselves before pushing one door aside.

They walked into a large circular room, dark and illuminated only by candles and unholy stained windows. In the center was a gathering of these priests, arranged in a circle around a strange device. The two priests walked up to the circle and as if on cue, their canting ceased. The circle turned towards the two.

"What news?" said one of the priests.

The two priests bowed. "The King of the Blood has returned."

"Then it is as we suspected." said another.

"That traitor has already been marked for death." said one. "We are now investigating this so called...King of the Blood. What about the first?"

"He was seen in the Mushroom Kingdom. We now know he has the scepter of Bowser."

"And now?"

"His aura has disappeared before he departed."

"Then he is aware of us." said the head priest, lined with golden markings. "He will not be allowed to enter the Kingdom unnoticed." He snapped his finger and two shape shifters manifested from nothing. "Capture and imprison him on sight." They bowed and disappeared as quickly as they came.

"The clone of Bowser is now moving to the Divine Cathedral." said one of the two priests. "He will arrive within the day."

Saying nothing, the head priest turned back around and stared at the device in front of him. He was sure the grand scheme would not be hindered, even with the resurrection of the Blood King, but there was something unexplainable in the back of his mind that bothered him.

"Is there something wrong, sir?" asked the priest next to him, sensing his uneasiness.

He turned. "I will keep an eye on it." he said. But in truth, he was somewhat concerned: he had never felt something like this before. And the fact that a light aura surrounded it made him feel uneasy.

* * *

Little could be seen except for the blinding whiteness that surrounded them all. An occasional stone monument sometimes poked through the ground and could be seen if it was close enough, otherwise it was the same everywhere except what lay ahead. A large mountain chain, spreading from left to right and rising above the clouds to unknown heights. Upon sight of it, the army started to speed their advance, eager to escape the blizzard.

"We're almost there!" shouted a Koopa Troopa, wearing a thermal winter jacket and red thermal goggles. "Inform the prince!"

"Roger!" said another with similar dress, and tapped his headset for a signal. Meanwhile, at about half a mile back from the front was a large ship, plated in gold and intricate design that flew inside the cloud cover. To those below, it was but a soft glow and none knew what it really was.

Inside the cockpit, a pilot pressed his headpiece and nodded. "Roger, I will inform his majesty immediately." He pressed a button upon his console. "Your majesty, the Koopa Crags are within sight!"

In a quiet room, Lemmy Koopa was sitting on an oversized chair when he heard the annoucement. Bookmarking his place in a diary, he looked up at the speaker and hummed to himself. The make or break moment was about to happen, and he wondered how many troops would try to mutiny him. It was considered insane to cross into the Valley of the Koopas, but they didn't know about the wand he found, did they?

"Okay, I'll be in the map room." replied Lemmy. Hopping down from the chair, he left the room and walked through a series of metallic corridors before descending a spiral staircase into a long room with a table in the center. On it were topographic maps of the Koopa Crags and beyond, the Koopa Kingdom. Blueprints of Bowser's Castle were also evident, piled on the corner of the table. Surrounding it were Lemmy's top generals, most of which looked nervous.

"We will reach the Valley of the Koopa's in a few moments." said a bearded Troopa. "But I still wonder if this is the right course of action. No army has ever emerged without loss from that place."

"Yeah," said Lemmy, putting his head in his hands on the table. "That's what everybody tells me."

"Granted, the Valley of the Koopa's is the only traversable route through the Koopa Crags from here to the Sarasaland border." said a red-capped Troopa, pointing his finger to a valley that ran north to south through the middle of the mountains. "However, the safer route is undoubtly flying over the northeast portion of the range and approaching the castle from the east. Morton is stationed all along that area and we could use the support."

"That's exactly what Junior is expecting." argued another general, this one with a black scarf. "If we were to attack at all, that is. It's insane to cross the western Crags in full eruption, much more to do what we're about to do."

"That's why he won't expect it!" chimed in Lemmy with a smile. "Look at this." He pointed to a blueprint of the castle's defenses. "All sides have all sorts of stuff, but the north face? Pfft, nothing but a garden and the entrance to the Valley. There's an old guard station half way up one of the mountains nearby but if we take that, we're golden. Junior will never reach it."

"Please excuse me your majesty, but perhaps you do not understand the dangers that lie ahead of us." said the bearded Koopa. "The Valley of the Koopa's is known as the resting place for all the Koopa Kings before us, and it is no secret that the whole valley is haunted. The spirits there are unseen and hostile to anyone who is not one of them in power. I've heard tales of people dropping dead suddenly, with no explanation."

"Rumor has it that an entire army of 400 was wiped out before it even reached the other side." said the Koopa with the scarf.

"Because they were facing something invisible. How can we fight something we cannot see?"

Lemmy childishly smiled to himself. "I brought along a surprise!"

"We are essentially facing an invisible, undead army, each with the power of Bowser." muttered the Koopa with the red hat. "Can your surprise somehow stop them?"

"Yep!" said Lemmy.

"We have reached the northern mouth of the valley." came an announcement. The generals looked at Lemmy in disbelief, but his smile never disappeared.

"Your majesty!" A solider ran into the room and bowed. "An argument has broken out in the front lines. Many are disputing the mission, and some have threatened to return to base."

Lemmy did not respond, but instead walked towards a sealed metallic door on the far wall and opened it.

"Clearly, you can see this mission is ludicrous!" said the bearded general before the door slammed shut on them. Lemmy did not care what they thought, for he knew that what they thought was wrong. This was the image of a disaster waiting to happen, to most who saw things only skin deep.

Zipping up his winter coat and tightening his hood, he pulled a pair of large yellow thermal goggles over his eyes before opening the next door. A large blast of cold air nearly blew him backwards, but he was well aware of his disadvantages. Getting up, he struggled out into the blizzard and clamored about on the deck, gathering his bearings. Looking over the railing, he could see nothing but cloud cover all around him, illuminated by the blue lights of the ship's exterior. He pulled out a radio.

"Hey, it's me. Lower the ship!" he commanded.

"...yes sir." came the response. The engine's revved up and slowly the cloud cover parted. Below was an infinite snowy landscape, dotted with soldiers moving this way and that. To Lemmy's left was the edge of the Koopa Crags, covered with a heavy blanket of snow with a single entrance through. As he got closer, it became apparent that many near the front were arguing amongst themselves.

"There is a message at the entrance to the valley." buzzed Lemmy's radio.

"Second." he replied, and reached for something inside his shell. Finding it, he held it in front of room: a brilliant wand plated in gold with precious gems and intricate writing: the Wand of Koopa. According to his father's diary, this was the device used to cross the valley. He had no idea how to use it, nor did Bowser give much instruction on how to use it, but...

Lemmy held the wand aloft, and suddenly it shone a brilliant radiance, illuminating all the clouds around it. And the soldiers below stopped and looked up at the sight and saw a beautiful ship lowering before them. Also plated in gold, it was sleek in design and dotted with blue lights on it's bow and stern. It had no wings, instead it was supported by thrusters on its belly.

"Hey!" shouted Lemmy, but his voice was suddenly magnified ten fold, and all the others stopped their arguments and finally looked up at the sight. "Oh, cool. Listen! This thing will protect you guys. Stop worrying! We'll make it to the other side as long as I keep using this."

"What about the spirits of the kings?" came a voice, though Lemmy could not see the source.

"Only someone with the power of the King can enter the valley, right?" asked Lemmy, inhaling. "This is the thing Bowser used to cross the valley years ago. So if you think that never happened, well you can walk back in this blizzard back home if you want."

Many grunts were heard simultaneously. "Okay, then we're going in!"

"Hey sir, did you see this?" came a voice below.

"See what?"

"There's a message at the entrance."

"No...hold on." He thought of a way to get down to the surface. Being the family acrobat, he jumped off the railing and soared through the air before flipping and landing on his feet with minimal effort. Trudging through the snow, he worked his way through the ranks until he reached the front of the force, which was staring at the mouth of the valley. There, a sign was erected on either side of the entrance. On the post was a Troopa carcass tied fast, and above the skull was a sign.

Lemmy frowned. It was clearly a warning, but the language written was too old for him to understand it.

"Only the Koopa King shall pass." said a Troopa next to him. "But beg your pardon-"

"It overrides it." Lemmy said to himself. The Wand of the Earth is what would normally be used, but if Bowser made it through the wand he held now...what exactly was it? He shook his head and turned back. "We're going through." He jogged through snow before jumping into the air, but the wand seemed to levitate him upwards. "Whooooo!" He nearly overshot the ship he came with, but managed to land on top it and slide himself down back to the railing he came out on.

After heading back into the ship and slipping out of his winter gear, Lemmy casually walked through the map room on his way to the bridge, amidst the generals with startled looks on their faces.

"The Wand of Koopa!" finally exclaimed the bearded general. "Things have suddenly turned around."

Lemmy turned and smiled. "Yeah, Tell the others about it, won't you?" Passing through the room, he walked through a hallway until opening a door to the bridge, small in comparison to his brother's vessels and even his own for the Koopa Troop. Two pilots sat in the front, and behind them was a large seat raised up surrounded with interesting gadgets from the far past. Sitting on it, Lemmy put his head in his hand and thought to himself for a moment. At length, he grabbed what appeared to resemble a type of microphone hanging above him.

"Alright, let's do this!" he shouted, his voice traveling outside through the area. An uproar was heard in the ships speakers; the response of his troops.

"Roger sir, moving into the valley." said his co-pilot. At once, the ancient vessel moved forward and the ground forces halted for a moment, letting Lemmy take the lead. They past the warning sign and entered the valley, the Crags closing in on both sides.

Lemmy reached into his shell and pulled out the diary he was reading from before. It was not his, but rather his father's, King Bowser. Found alongside the Wand of Koopa aboard the vessel he now rode, it contained information about his upbringing, the enemies he faced and much more. He had already gone through many of the earlier entries, but what he was focused on now was what Bowser dubbed "The Society."

According to Bowser, they were the "sons of God" who believed they had inherited the Earth after their forefather's disappearance. Judging from Bowser's somewhat crude sketch on the opposite page, they were taller and tended to wear black hoods over their heads. Evidently, Bowser noted that he was descended from them through a "lesser, watered down line."

"Maybe..." But to Lemmy, Bowser's journal made the whole situation stink even more. Where was Bowser in all of this? Why was Junior being so aggressive to become the next King, and why was he attacking his siblings? Why was there an international arrest warrant for Ludwig being broadcast all over television?

Lemmy didn't even notice the hour pass by him as his forces moved deeper into the valley, until the ship suddenly came to a halt. He looked up and noticed an abrupt change in landscape. When they first entered the valley, the land was covered in blankets of snow with no life to be seen in either direction. Now, the land was covered in black rock and the sky was equally as dark, save on both edges of the valley where erupting volcanoes painted the sky a dull red. The road before them spawned ancient broken pathways that sprawled this way and that on both sides of the valley. Many terminated with entrances into the Earth, with some barred shut with heavy doors, while some were broken down or on their hinges. More warnings, similar to what Lemmy had seen before, were pitched on stakes alongside these paths, their skulls decayed and letters worn. Aside from the sound of nearby eruptions, the valley was quiet.

"They won't move, huh?" asked Lemmy, knowing the answer.

"We are in the King's Rest, sir." said his pilot. "This is where the spirits of the past kings reside."

"Yeah, I know."

The pilot did not respond.

"Why did we stop?" asked Lemmy.

"Our main ground force stopped suddenly." responded the pilot, but he did not explain why.

Taking the hint, Lemmy walked out of the bridge and made his way up a ladder towards the top of the ship. With a lever, a door opened above him and Lemmy climbed out. Straightening himself, he looked over the railing and frowned. All of his ground forces had indeed stopped and were seemingly frozen in place. Looking over on the embankments, Lemmy thought he could see shadowy figures out of the corners of his eyes, but once he turned towards them, they vanished.

"I'm seeing things!" complained a soldier below. Others grit their teeth and tried to stand their ground. "Those are the old kings, alright." said another. "We're not going to last much longer if we stand around like this!"

Lemmy took out the Wand of Koopa again. He never was good at spell chanting and instead relied on what he termed "creative magic." He thought of the construct that he had decided upon before. In an instant, the wand glowed brightly and a large energy field expanded outward from the tip, surrounding Lemmy's ship and eventually his entire army.

Many ghosts of the kings now came into full view. They were tall and terrible, with many dressed in armor of war, others wielded unsightly weapons and yet others resorted to the magic of the ages. Some could still not be seen, but the objects that they began to hurl towards Lemmy's army announced their presence. They began to slowly make their way towards Lemmy's company, with their weapons harmlessly reflecting off of the energy field.

"Let's keep moving!" announced Lemmy. "As long as we keep moving, we're fine." With shouts of approval from below, Lemmy climbed back down the port hole before closing the cover again. He had to keep the wand out at all times now if he wanted to keep all of his troops alive.

Lemmy walked back into the cockpit and sat back down on his seat. Seeing the ship moving, he guessed the pilots heard his latest proclamation from down the hall. Sighing, Lemmy placed the wand inside a cylinder that sort of resembled a cup holder and looked for his dad's diary again.

"The undead are not giving chase." said one pilot.

"We have an incoming transmission, addressed to your majesty." said the other pilot.

"From who?" Lemmy asked.

"We cannot trace the sender."

Lemmy hummed to himself. What was suspicious was the fact that no one should know where he was at that moment. He had never used this ship before, and it was not wired for external communications except to his own contingency. So magic was involved. The Society? Doubtful. More than likely, it was specifically for him.

"Okay, patch it." A screen lowered from above, temporarily blocking his view to the outside. After a bit of fizzle, a familiar face came into view within a dark room.

"Hi Lemmy." Larry smirked. "I see your game plan. I have some advice before you start."

"Where did you get those horns?" replied Lemmy. "They are like Junior's."

"Long story short, I am King of the Blood." said Larry.

"Is there a difference between that and King of the Koopas?" asked Lemmy.

"I run the family, the other guy runs the kingdom."

"Oh. So wait, Junior's running the kingdom?"

"Yes and no. Let's say he's running the kingdom without my approval. Neither is he a real king yet, but he can wield many of Bowser's powers already which they probably think is a suitable replacement."

"Replacement?" echoed Lemmy.

Larry made a face. "You didn't hear what happened?" Lemmy simply shook his head. "Well, there's no easy way of saying it. Bowser's dead."

Lemmy said nothing and stared forward for a long time, seemingly lost in thought. "He was in a battle with Mario in the Mushroom Kingdom," continued Larry, "And a meteor struck the duo. It broke Bowser's shell. I know Ludwig was there at the time and probably has Bowser's last words, but he's being hunted like a dog right now."

Lemmy said nothing.

"I would say more but I'm being monitored right now."

"They killed him." muttered Lemmy.

Larry thought about it for a moment. "You could...say that."

"He wasn't living. None of us were back then. We woke up as he aged, and we realized: this is our life. It is in our hands, we can choose whatever we want to do. But Bowser never saw it that way. Their power over him was too great."

"He did wake up in his final moments." commented Larry.

"Did he? What did he say?" asked Lemmy.

"I don't know. I just saw moments. I was there, but not participating. Ludwig would know."

"Where the goomba is Ludwig anyway?" muttered Lemmy, crossing his arms. "I wouldn't have to come out here if he just took care of Junior. I didn't want to do this in the first place. You know I hate politics."

"Oh, there's more to this than you know."

"Yeah, I know." He held up Bowser's diary. "He was probably killed by-"

"I know. Like I said, I'm being monitored." reminded Larry.

"Oh." It took a moment for that realization to sink into Lemmy's mind. "Gotcha. So, your going to tell me your plan while being monitored?"

"Who said I had to tell you with words?" asked Larry. His face suddenly disappeared and in place was a map of the northern Koopa Kingdom, with the Koopa Crags outlining the top. The castle was front and center, and north of this was the entrance to the southern mouth of the valley. The eastern flank of the castle was dotted in brown triangles and lines: the symbolic color of Morton Jr. To the south were multiple colored lines advancing towards the castle. Judging by their colors, they were Junior...Roy and Wendy? That wasn't right. In the far north in the Koopa Crags was a long orange line, Lemmy's current position.

If the map was correct, then it seemed Roy and Wendy were somehow allied with Junior. But how was that possible? He would be up against more foes than he thought. Lemmy was going to need Morton's help in this if it was to succeed.

"Before you ask anything, it is the Wand of the Earth." came Larry's voice. "It was how Bowser controlled large armies in the first place. The game plan should be fairly obvious."

"I still have a trick I could use." said Lemmy.

"Save it as a surprise." said Larry.

"I know, I know. I know what to do."

"Then I'll leave you to it. Oh, and one more thing."

"Hm?"

"Once you get there, I'll be ready to announce it."

"Hmmm, okay. I'll open everything."

"Good." The screen fizzled and shot back up into the ceiling. Lemmy leaned back and re-thought his strategy as the ship and his army continued down the valley.

Some time past, and it wasn't before long that volcanic plumes were seen hovering low in the sky, blocking their sight in front of them. Lemmy knew they were getting close.

"We are 10 miles from the castle, your majesty." said his pilot.

Lemmy got up from his seat and looked out the windows in front of him. The broken pathways had disappeared and the valley had narrowed considerably since then. They were out of the most dangerous parts of the valley.

"Stop everyone." Lemmy ordered. After the ship stopped in place, Lemmy grabbed the radio. "Hey everyone. We're 10 miles from the castle. It doesn't look like it, but it's just past these clouds. We have to use these as cover for now. We may have some allies in the surprise. Let's camp here for now, they won't see us."

Lemmy switched frequency. "Mattison. Take the tree house. Do not respond to mother, I repeat, do not respond to mother."

"Roger that, Duck Hound." A regiment on the ground immediately began to climb the steep slopes with oxygen tanks strapped to their snouts, and they soon disappeared in the clouds of ash.

Lemmy switched frequency again. "Demetrius. Tell Jacob the cheeseburgers are ready. We'll have the ketchup at sundown."

"Roger." Another team, also with oxygen masks then started climbing the other side of the valley until they too disappeared into the clouds. Lemmy put the radio down and smiled. "I guess we have a few hours." he said to himself. He wanted to start this in the evening, and and that was going to catch on soon.

He looked at the Wand of Koopa behind him, still emitting the aura surrounding his entire party. The trip was not nearly as bad as he thought. Perhaps the wand made the trip far easier than it normally would, but nobody was complaining. For Lemmy, the hard part had not come yet.

"Can you switch on infrared?" asked Lemmy, taking his seat again. The screen switched to a reddish hue, which allowed him to see through the clouds. Just as he expected, the northern side of the castle was entirely undefended. Most of the defense was to the east, where Morton was camped, seemingly waiting for Junior.

"The ship can hover just outside the volcanic clouds, right?" asked Lemmy.

"We believe so." said the pilots. "Most of the thrusters are on the belly of the ship, and this ship can cloak as well." Lemmy nodded, and the ship disappeared from view to the outside.

"Let's hit the sack early." said Lemmy, before wandering out of the control room and into the back of the ship towards his bedroom. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

* * *

After security gave the signal, the messenger ran into the camp, looking for his recipient. Doding the soldiers and working his way around the artillery, he eventually found it: a large dark tent guarded by two Koopatrols outside within a mock-up courtyard. Stopping, the messenger simply held up a document to their faces and watched whatever surprise he could see in their eyes.

"Your majesty!" shouted the Koopatrol. Inside, Morton Koopa Junior got up from his couch, wrapping fur blankets around him. "Yes, come in!" said Morton. The figure, hooded and cloaked, quickly entered and handed Morton a document.

"What's this?" Morton questioned.

"Tomorrow morning." said the messenger in a raspy voice. "Early." With that, the messenger left as quick as he had entered. After watching him leave, Morton opened the envelope and unfolded a sheet a paper. His expression quickly turned into a smirk. "Really? Hah!" Larry certainly wasn't lying. The takeover of the castle suddenly seemed very possible. Maybe this coup by Junior will finally end and things would return to normal.

"Well, not normal..." Morton muttered to himself, sitting back down. They were past the point of no return. Neither Bowser nor Ludwig were anywhere to be seen, but that didn't stop Morton from trying to set things right. He just hoped this attack would be successful and that Junior would not arrive back at the castle sooner than later. Junior could not be made king, no matter what.


	7. 23: The Great Revelation

The sun passed behind the western crags, twilight setting in. Bowser Koopa Junior finally halted his ruthless march that he had begun earlier that day. Without an airship, he was forced to head back to the castle inside a tank through the city. His new "minions," Roy & Wendy did not have much to offer either, but that did not matter. They may have started their journey on the southern coast, but they have managed to cross nearly the entire distance back to the castle in one day. But Junior was beginning to fall asleep, and wanted to distance himself from his other siblings for a time.

"Where are we?" asked Junior.

"We have passed the inner wall of the city," said an officer across from him. "And now in the castle rock lands. It is another 4 to 5 hours before we reach the castle. If you wish, we can set up camp here tonight and guard the wall."

Junior nodded and made no objections. The tank, with Junior's surviving military personnel strolled along the official paved path towards the front gate of the castle. After some time, the path deviated onto a dirt road for about a mile, reaching a military encampment. With the tank finally stopped, Junior opened the porthole and hopped out. He looked towards the castle and wondered if he should have kept going, considering the threat of Morton. But his slow and sleepy head told him otherwise.

His siblings climbed out of the porthole in turn, and as if in a trance, moved themselves to their respective tents. Seemingly sensing Junior's uneasiness, an officer came up and saluted to him.

"What about Morton?" asked Junior.

"He remains camped outside the eastern flank." the officer responded. "He has not moved from his position during the day."

"He wants us to come to him." said Junior. "Fine! He will be an easy catch as it is. Let's have something to eat!" He walked into his tent, impatient for his big day tomorrow, the day when he would officially become the King of the Koopa's.

* * *

A gigantic noise suddenly roused Morton Koopa Junior from his sleep. Opening his eyes he was blinded by a piercing white light. He struggled out of his tent into the dead of night and witnessed something bewildering: on the northern end of the castle was a giant orb of light, surrounded by a deafening noise and was steadily growing in size. By now, the ruckus had awakened most of Morton's troops from sleep and most stared in awe and bewilderment. Soon it enveloped the entire western sky until there was a flash, which in the resulting shockwave nearly knocked everybody over. The light was gone, and the noise was replaced with a dull rumbling of rock. Almost immediately afterwards Morton's whole camp was in an uproar, trying to figure out what had just occurred. It wasn't before long that scouts reported that the entire northern wall of the castle was gone.

"Gone?" Morton asked. "What, did it just disappear?"

"It melted, your majesty. The rest has crumbled. The way is wide open right now."

"Sir! An army has been spotted rushing down from the Valley of the Koopas! They are headed straight towards the castle!"

This caused a smaller uproar in Morton's circle due to its seeming impossibility, but before Morton could say anything he could see them rushing down the valley and into the garden's of the castle. One of the front runners of the army hoisted a large flag, yellow with an orange star in the center.

"Lemmy," laughed Morton, "You son of a bitch." He knew he was coming, after receiving a messenger from him hours earlier. But Morton did not imagine it like this.

Gunfire soon erupted, and Morton knew what he had to do. Turning around he raised his hand to his forces. "Well, that does it! We can't let him take all the glory! Let's bring them down!" Immediately, his soldiers rushed to their weapons and their tanks and began firing at the eastern wall of the castle. Whatever defenses that remained there tried to fire back, but it was clearly a losing battle.

Lemmy's troops were rushing headlong into the gaping northern hole of the castle, some on the lower levels, others climbing over the debris into the upper levels. Many wielded a new weapon that most of the kingdom proper had never seen before until then: an Ice Bill, a bullet bill that freezes an enemy combatant on contact before exploding moments later. Against this the castles defenses similarly melted and the troops quickly made their way into the heart of the castle.

Lemmy Koopa himself made a large leap into one of the upper floors, wielding the Wand of Koopa as he went. Nothing could stand against him, neither Koopatrols nor ball and chain nor Thwomps. It was an easy job, easier than he had expected. He was glad that he had read Bowser's entry about the Wand of Koopa long ago, otherwise he would've never have thought about using it.

Morton's shells rocked the castle, throwing many of the castle guards off their feet. Many asked for the whereabouts of Junior, but it was in the dead of night and few leaders were around to direct them. As their cannons were slowly destroyed, they eventually abandoned their posts, essentially giving the entire eastern wall to Morton's troops. Morton smiled, and wasted no time in telling his men to scale the wall.

The entire situation happened so quickly that those outside the castle premises could only wonder what on Earth was happening. The castle seemed to be in chaos and many in the outer city, who were awakened by the noise, gossiped amongst themselves about a coup attempt or an earthquake that struck near the castle. Either were fine, as many thought that the Koopa monarchy was responsible for all their troubles.

Before Junior was even aware of it, Lemmy's troops had surrounded the throne room and forced the surrender of his cabinet. Junior was unable to reach any official within his government and he could only writhe in anger at deciding to stop for the night instead of heading straight back to the castle.

"This is absolutely unacceptable!" shouted Junior, throwing his chalice across the tent. "Who do they think they are? I was chosen to become the next king by pops himself!" He guessed that his siblings were trying to block his ascension to the throne by cutting off the route to the Divine Cathedral. Still, it didn't matter. He would blast right through them.

"_Wait."_ said a voice.

"Wait? Why should I?" demanded Junior.

"_One of them has a weapon that outmatches yours. You will not be able to defeat the wielder. Focus on __controlling the countryside. We will deal with this."_ Junior's eyes glowed a dull purple before disappearing again. "Very well." acknowledged Junior, and he walked out of the tent to give out his new orders.

* * *

Daybreak. Thousands marched the streets leading to Bowser's Castle, wanting an explanation to the madness. Guards from Roy and Wendy's contingent tried to hold back the tide, but the people had the word then; they broke through all barriers, and escaped the confines of the inner wall. Storming towards the castle, they destroyed anything that was related to Bowser, his children or otherwise.

Their commotion was heard edging closer within earshot of the castle. Morton, on top a balcony, looked to the south at the oncoming waves of people with a worried expression. He did not expect riots against them to be this bad. He knew the earth changes had wrecked the economy, he knew what was at stake for keeping too much information from others, but Bowser's administration had already done most of the damage. They wanted change, and they wanted it now.

Morton turned back towards the throne room. His guards had replaced Junior's regiment that he had left behind, whom were now imprisoned. Otherwise there were no one else in the room save for one. Seated like a child sitting on a chair too big for him was Lemmy Koopa. His claws were folded in front of him and he stared forward with a serious expression. It was certainly one of those lifetime moments, at least to Morton: Lemmy, being serious. Then again, life was like some disaster movie these days.

"You raise your flag and you have the whole kingdom coming to your doorstep." remarked Morton, speaking about the flag that now flew from the highest spire of Bowser's Castle. Junior's green and yellow flag had been replaced by Lemmy's yellow and orange not too long ago.

"It's not me." said Lemmy.

"Yeah right! You know the commoners like you the most. So they know you'll give them the honest answer to everything."

"That's not it." said Lemmy, looking up. "I think they want me to dissolve the monarchy."

"Yeah, like...wait, really?"

"I can't do that right now." Indeed, even if Lemmy wanted to dissolve Bowser's former cabinet that now lay locked in the lower dungeon levels and abolish the monarchy, and replace it with a citizen run government, the Society would win it all. There would be no stopping them.

"You know..." Morton said, half to himself. "...we could get away clean with that."

"Huh?"

"If we abolish the monarchy and let these guys take care of themselves, we wouldn't get any of the blame for king dad's shit. Plus, we could just slip away into our safe areas and nobody would notice because they're all focused on their government and all that. Actually, that's a great idea!"

"I've thought about it. There's just one very small problem." said Lemmy.

"What?"

"We are up against a huge force that everyone else has no chance against. They don't even know who they are."

Suddenly, there was a sound of a weapon dropping, then footsteps hurrying out of the chamber. Morton immediately suspected the worst. "After him!" he ordered, and several guards hurried out of the room. "I've got moles." Morton muttered to himself.

"Wait a sec." The whole situation gave Lemmy an idea. Snapping his finger, his aide was immediately next to him.

"Those security cams around the castle, they still work, right?"

"I believe so, sir." he said.

"Can you zoom on the crowd, and get me a tablet or something so I can see them." Lemmy ordered, and the aide was off.

"You think this is set up?" asked Morton.

"I have a lot of supporters, but not a whole kingdom." commented Lemmy. "That's a lot of people wanting answers from me." There was silence for a little while, until a tablet was handed to Lemmy. On it was a picture from the top of a spire. Lemmy zoomed in the camera to a section of the mob. It was a huge mix between left idealists and right conservatists and everyone else in between, but one person caught his eye. He was wearing a hat and an ear piece or some kind. Zooming in closer, Lemmy could make out the logo of Roy Koopa on the knob.

Morton took a peek. "You should play poker sometime." he joked. "You'd probably cause an uproar all around the table."

"I don't know, Roy's doing a much better job." Lemmy mused. "On the orders of Junior of course. And I don't think he even made those orders." He sighed. "Man, it's not right to control people like that."

"So what are you going to do?" asked Morton.

Lemmy said nothing, but continued to fiddle with the tablet.

"You can make a speech, and they could snipe you. You could run, but they know where you came from now. I bet there's anti-air everywhere too. You're on a huge powder keg, buddy."

"Only I set the bombs off." commented Lemmy, and Morton laughed. "Trust me, they wont get in here. No one will. We stay where we are."

"Sure, say that now. That mob is not going away by itself, controlled or not."

"Dude, Morton, you know I'm not king material."

"Yeah well, we still have to follow the code." said Morton. "Whether we like it or not, you're second oldest. Bowser's not here, so it's Ludwig. Ludwig's not here, so it's you. Simple as that."

Lemmy said nothing at the mention of Bowser's name.

"I still think you did the right thing." said Morton, trying to cheer him up. "You have to claim your place, or they run you over. You're defending your spot, and that's something to be proud of."

Lemmy stared at the tablet and did nothing. "Bowser's dead."

Morton looked at him, not sure if he had heard that correctly. "What?"

"You heard me." Lemmy said, shooting him a glare. Morton was speechless. The noise had picked up, and their shouting could he heard through the castle walls.

"H-how..?"

"A meteor. It got Mario too. Ludwig saw the whole thing...or so I'm told." He looked at the balcony. "Too bad he's being hunted like an animal. So what if Ludwig can't be molded like Bowser? He would be a far better pick than me." He covered his eyes. "Why did he leave me with this mess?"

"I...don't think he intended to. I didn't intend Bowser to die without his wand." He paused. "He can't be resurrected without the wand, right?"

"Right," replied Lemmy, "And it's called Wand of the Earth."

"Is there a difference?" muttered Morton.

"Death to King Bowser!" was suddenly heard, coming from outside. It was still a little far, but audible. Similar chants were similarly heard, but they called for all sorts of demands. "Bring Junior back!" "Lay the king to rest!" "Give us the reigns!" were but a few.

"Your majesty!" A door to Lemmy's right opened, and in came several of his henchmen, carrying what appeared to be a large black stand made of stone, with its legs sculpted into dark spirals. Another held a large bright orb of some type. "Yes, put it in the center so I can see him." the globe suddenly said. The voice was familiar.

They placed the stand in front of Lemmy, and carefully placed the globe on top. Sure enough, it was Larry's mug, who was looking a little impatient. "Hello again, Lemmy." The henchmen saluted and quickly scuffled off. "Or, should I say, Crown Prince Lemmy."

"More like Clown Prince." stated Lemmy as a matter of fact, "And I am not king material."

"Then why did you decide to make that move?" questioned Larry. "It is a kingly move for sure."

"I'm buying-" he stopped short. "No, they can see you. Never mind."

"They can't listen through the globes." said Larry. "Only through modern communications, like the Internet, cell phones and so on. That's why I want to talk to you with this."

Lemmy nodded. "Alright." He turned towards Morton and made a gesture. Morton looked up at the second floor overlooking the chamber and understood. "Guard! Station 2!" he ordered. Stamping their heels, they turned and all walked out of the many doors lining the room and closed them shut.

"I told them to guard this room from the entrances." stated Morton.

"Good." said Larry. "They will try to use moles to hear your plans, without a doubt. Sabotage even, so you have to keep an eye on them. Now Lemmy, you can tell me whatever it is you want to tell me."

"I'm buying time for Ludwig." Lemmy said flatly. "He can't get through this by himself. I don't think anybody can."

"Anyone short of a controlled puppet king." exclaimed Larry. "But as you know, Ludwig is being hunted with the intent to kill, so you will have to do his jobs for the time being. It sucks, but it's your position."

"I don't want to interrupt," said Morton, "But where did you get those horns? And where can I get some?"

Larry sighed, already getting tired of explaining himself. "I am the King of the Blood now, and I'm in charge of the family at large. There's two wands, the other is the Wand of the Earth, which is in charge of the kingdom. You probably know it as the 'Wand of the Koopas.' Bowser had it, now Junior has it."

"Why would Bowser do something like that? It's idiotic!" mouthed Morton. Lemmy and Larry looked at each other.

"I'll tell you later." said Lemmy. "I need to to do something about this mob, or they will try to storm this place for sure."

"That's the other reason. You need to speak to them, but you wont have to do it for long. I'm going to take care of the rest for you."

"So you _are_ going to do it." said Lemmy.

"Junior's cards need to be placed on the table. After all, I didn't choose him to begin with. They did, and I would rather choose Ludwig for the spot."

"Wait, you can choose who will become king?" asked Morton.

"Yes I can. I have already picked him. We need to make sure Junior does not access the Divine Cathedral to complete the ceremony. He may have the wand, but he hasn't gone through the rites."

"Then why does he have horns already?" asked Morton. "You know, I've always wondered that."

Larry rubbed his eyes. "Because he is a clone."

"Hah! I knew it!"

"Anyways, make your speech soon. Don't say anything about that organization. Just tell them that we would like to make an announcement or something like that, and I'll take to the air. And Morton? Would you mind helping with that?"

Morton grunted. "Depends. What do you plan on saying?"

Larry smiled. "Everything. They're going to know everything."

"What? Are you serious? That's the best way to minimize our chances!"

"Come on, Morton. You know you can say something a different way, and have it interpreted in another. Out of all people, you should know this."

Morton grunted again.

"If we say we're responsible, then that would be political suicide. However, if we point the blame to something already burning, like Bowser's reputation, then it's not so bad."

"In a way." admitted Morton.

"Or you don't have to blame anyone." Lemmy pointed out.

"That's true. It depends on the reaction at that point. We'll see." He paused. "Alright, I'll leave you to it. What about you Morton?"

Morton sighed and looked around. He was clearly not in agreement but his gut told him otherwise. "You know, my mind hates this. But Bowser always said to trust your gut, so I will. I can get you on KoopTV easy enough, but I don't know about the other stations: I'm trapped in here after all. I'll align the stations to transmit from Genlic. It'll move some of my satellites and you can work whatever magic you have from there." He turned to leave. "Let's hope you're not wrong and this castle isn't looted in an hour." He exited the room, shutting the door behind him. The voices were now in the central courtyard, given away by their close proximity.

After a moment, Lemmy got up. "How do I shut this off?"

"Oh right, only kings can issue connections." muttered Larry. "It's a one way call. I'll cut it off. If you have anything to protect yourself with, I'd use it."

"I know." said Lemmy, briefly revealing the Wand of Koopa in his shell. "Take care." He couldn't find any more words to say. Larry's face disappeared and the globe faded to black.

And with that, Lemmy slowly walked forward towards the balcony, almost amusing to himself with the debris that filled the air outside. To him, it felt like a death march and he didn't want to imagine the many ways he could die out there. Mobs were unruly and illogical, driven by the animal instinct. That was the first thing to be calmed, Lemmy had decided. All he had for protection was the Wand of Koopa. He needed to keep his faith on the device, like he did with the Valley of the Koopas.

Lemmy passed through the balcony archway and heard the noise ascend to deafening levels. As he approached the outer railing, his eye suddenly darted: a sniper was hidden behind a rock alcove. His wand was working wonders again. It darted again: two, no three. Five. Six. Seven. Seven snipers. No, eight. Eight snipers had their targets on him already. It seemed they were intent on bringing down whomever decided to step outside, regardless on who it was.

Noticing that he had stopped, he started walking again and a roar suddenly filled the skies. He stopped at the railing and just looked at the crowd. He knew some faces from one of his rallies, but there many people of all types there. Many were jeers, others were boos, most were cries of illogical anger. They had enough of their lifestyles under the dictatorship of Bowser, they had enough of the unemployment and decrease in the standard of living, they had enough of the lies.

But Lemmy said nothing. He stared at the mob, studying it. There were tens of thousands pouring in, and yet they only managed to get one of the courtyard gates open. It was from this that the majority were now entering from.

Many were now chanting for Lemmy to speak, with others mocking him for his lack of performance. Lemmy smiled at all of it. First thing was first.

"Open the gates." he commanded, his voice echoing clearly across the courtyard. "All of them. Everybody should hear this."

Those struggling to open the gates at the other entrances found themselves surprised and suspicious when they opened effortlessly. Many were suspicious that Lemmy was planning a trap for all of them, and many refused to moved much further from the gates themselves.

A bigger mob was soon congregated together, and Lemmy knew he was dealing with tens of thousands, if not perhaps closer to one hundred thousand people, many staying in the streets leading up to the castle and unable to get in. Their lines extended all the back to the city. But he could see movie and TV crews piling in, some with television sets for those who could not see Lemmy up close. Lemmy knew Morton was working his magic.

At length, Lemmy leaned on the railing and looked below. "Life is hard, isn't it?" This caused an uproar, much of it against Lemmy for being posh and insensitive. "It goes for everyone. That includes me too. Life isn't fair. You try to get your dreams to come true, about a cleaner world, a world with no war, and you have these...assholes, always putting you down."

He saw the snipers already locking on to him.

"Yeah, things are bad down here, and that's why I'm here. Everything has gotten out of control lately. Why? Why did I come down here and take Bowser's Castle?" He turned and looked at the castle, pausing for a moment before pointing his finger at it. "Because ladies and gentlemen, this castle is empty! There is no king, for King Bowser Koopa is dead."

Shouting erupted almost immediately, but Lemmy continued. "That's the next thing. Yes, there's a succession war happening right now. That was what that loud flash was all about last night. I got into the castle. Frankly, the world needs someone better. I'm not saying it's me, honestly I'd rather not become the next king." His fan base was hurt by this announcement, and pleaded with him otherwise. "The world needs a leader who can face the challenges that are ahead of us, not a dictator or a money grabber. This world is corrupt and needs some honest answers, and I've gotten tired of seeing my father's administration of keeping the truth to their chest. I'm sick and tired of it. Are you?"

Suddenly, a shot went off. But it deflected off of Lemmy's shield, which briefly shone for a second before disappearing. The mob went wild and some had begun to disperse. Lemmy was fine, but suddenly an inner confidence grew in him.

"I'm fine." he announced. "But I'm a bit underwhelmed. I knew someone would try to kill me, just to cause disorder and ruin whatever is left of this kingdom. But I'm not going to allow it." Lemmy saw at the corner of his eye a gunmen being pulled down from his embankment by several people and beaten to death. He shook his head. "I invite you all to stay, despite the bad intentions some people have. Don't worry, they can't kill me."

Lemmy noticed that some of the televisions had started to fuzz and go erratic. He guessed the worst. "Now, it seems like someone is trying to mess up the feed." It stopped abruptly. "Ah, much better. As you can see, our enemies are dedicated. But that doesn't stop me from trying to get the word out."

He inhaled. "And I have another word to say. A big announcement. It's something that I think...will be better explained by someone who has more authority than I do, but I'll just say this. It was all done against our will, against me and against most of my family. With Bowser gone, it is now possible to share this with you all. Ladies and gentlemen, the King of the Blood, Larry Koopa."

All of the televisions switched to static for a moment until the face of Larry Koopa suddenly appeared, filling the screens. Lemmy saw a handful of people creep their way out of the courtyard at the sight, but many people surprisingly gave him an applause, perhaps out of respect. But most others were quiet, sensing some unexplainable doom coming over them.

"Welcome, citizens of the Koopa Kingdom. I want to thank you for trying to understand what is occurring, as there is a lot happening right now. But first, I want to answer a question that many of you probably have. And that is "If you're in charge of the royal family, why not just appoint a new King of the Earth yourself? That is your responsibility, isn't it?"

Larry smiled. "I've heard this question more than once. The truth is, my efforts are being blocked due to the succession wars. Prince Lemmy had the intention of trying to settle this matter himself, and I have to thank him for trying to end this needless battle. These wars are nothing new, as historians know. "They have raged on ever since the beginnings of our race. But, I am not of like mind. If we are to evolve as a race , then these wars need to come to an end. Not easy for our greed and our pride. But I have something else to share that will perhaps make my opponents reconsider their decisions.

"As all of you are aware, our planet is undergoing dramatic changes that are seemingly unexplainable. Strange weather, strange noises, an abundance of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, shore erosion, disappearance of entire islands, signs in the sky, the list goes on. All of this is affecting the economy and our standard of living and there is not a corner anywhere in Koopa City not affected by it. There is not a corner in the world that's not affected by it.

"Those who believe they know the answer have taken to the Internet to explain their theories, and many of these have caught on in rising popularity against the official explanation of King Bowser's administration. I declare that explanation, that of an increase in the sun's temperature, officially null and void. Why? Because it is not true. It was a shame that my father could never swallow his pride and bring himself to admit the truth. He had hid the truth for too long and his fear of shame was too great. But it is also true, that all of us do this on a daily basis in one way or another. It is time to put this to an end, and be more honest with ourselves and each other. I will start by describing the greatest cover-up in the history of this planet.

"Out of all the conspiracies that mingle together in the information world, there is one that is absolutely true, and that is why it was never covered in the media. That's why it was put down, at times ruthlessly, by my father's administration. It spells the end of the world as we know it, but it also spells the end for those still clinging to power and to their material wealth. People in power cannot imagine a life without it, it is said, but it is only true to those who are too selfish and narrow minded to know otherwise. I am under the impression that the common citizen, you, knows better. That is why you deserve to know what is occurring around you. That's why all of you deserve to know.

"So, what is it?" He paused for a moment. "If you guessed the return of Naru, you are correct." The screen split in half, showing the known solar system and a picture of the Great Destroyer. "The planet known as Naru has returned to the solar system, following it's 3,600 year cycle across are binary star system. It is well known in ancient legends as causing a number of catastrophes, as outlined within the Koopahari scriptures. Most people in the past brushed these off as fairy tales, as something unbelievable. Perhaps that is a flaw in our nature as a race, but nevertheless it was a mistake. What these stories claim are a truth to a point. This includes the great flood that occurred 4 ages ago.

"When the planet Naru approaches our world, we become halted within her orbit, and magnetically our crust becomes attracted to her presence. Because of this attraction, neither world is able move and since our world is smaller, we are essentially the loser. What I just described above is all due to Naru halting our orbit and jerking us in place, trying to wedge our planet out of its own path. And Naru will finally achieve this when our crust detaches from the core, which is the basis of crustal displacement or better known in the ancient days as a pole shift. The crust slides under the ocean, which floods all the coastlines around the world, drowning cities and entire kingdoms. Plates slam into each other, creating mountains and volcanoes. Others sub duct, drowning and raising islands. It is a time when everything levels out. All the material corruption will be gone, but the survivors will have to start from scratch again.

"I myself am not a scientist, and after this speech I will have someone explain more of the specifics to you, but I have outlined the basics of what is coming. Given how destructive a pole shift can be, it was often equated to the end of the world in ancient sources. But that is not entirely true. This planet will still survive. Our civilizations may fold and crumble, but if we survive and can still walk on our feet, we can begin again. It is a great opportunity to teach selflessness and to help one another through this. I can only hope that the next King of the Earth will be of like mind. The last thing this kingdom needs is to destroy itself in the face of annihilation.

My enemies may retaliate against this announcement. It is unavoidable, in a way. I ask that you remain vigilant, and do not tolerate any harassment that they try to force you under. The people deserve freedom, and you deserve it.

Thank you, and may the Creator bless us all."

Larry's face disappeared and a scientist popped up on screen to explain the specifics. Most people looked stunned, glued to the screens and not sure what to think. A great wave of relief swept over Lemmy, as that terrible secret was no longer a secret he had to keep to himself. Smiling, he wondered what he could try to implement before Junior would try his next move on him, whatever it may be.


	8. 24: Falling Deeper

"And what of it?" asked the head priest, entirely unconcerned.

"Bowser's lineage believes they can do as they wish." said a priest behind him. "They do not realize that such actions have a price."

"Precisely. Perhaps the assassination of one of their own could bring them to order." suggested another, but the head priest was not of like mind.

"Our hands are still hidden in shadow." smiled the head priest. "What has occurred was but a possible future surmised in the doctrine. And we have prepared for every future. This is similar to the one scryed by Dinasus an age ago." Walking to a stone bookshelf, he pressed in a stone upon the outer architecture and the whole shelf receded back into a hidden alcove. In its former place rose a stone platform which housed a long, strange device in the center covered with a purple cloth.

"But how can we prepare for the Wand of Koopa?" asked the first priest. "We are powerless against it."

The head priest continued to smile, taking off the cloth and examining the device. "There are ways."

"Is that not why we buried it long ago in the north?" asked another priest.

"It was a mistake to have that child settle there." scoffed the second priest. "We should have pressed Kamek when we had the chance."

"And like all children, they will be humbled before their guardians." said the head priest, lifting up the device. It was black and purple device, vaguely resembling a wand of some kind. But it's outer circumference seemed to indicate something a little more modern. Confident, he turned around to his fellow priests to have them look. The Vice, or the second in command, looked at it with a rather snobbish expression.

"The Wand of Telxin..." he started, "...yes, it has helped us a great deal in accomplishing our purposes. But it's power is passive, as decided by the 360th council. Do you plan otherwise?"

"Indeed, my old friend." answered the head priest as he walked to the worship circle in the middle of the room. "Telxin and all the heirs after him have been under our control for generations. For fools begot fools, and desire power without consequence." He placed the device in the middle of the circle and immediately the device seemed to clamp itself to the structure as if it had a mind of its own. A purple light shone through that black darkness, showing that it was ready.

"It is a shame that it has come to this," continued the head priest, "for our kingdom must be ruled peacefully with a guiding hand, not with shocking bombast. And now, we must all gently guide those to keep our kingdom intact."

"You mean to control everyone covertly?!" asked a startled priest.

"It is the only way now." said the Vice. "Otherwise we will be ill prepared for the arrival of our masters. They will not be pleased to see their slaves not in total control, and we may lose power."

"Indeed. But before we begin," said the head priest, smiling, "Let us rectify the cause before the effect."

* * *

Mona cut out another wedge of her chocolate chip bacon pancakes and took a bite. It was another typical morning at Eternal Fortress Genlic and Kooper was going over the usual statistics. It was the beginning to another busy day and Mona almost wished she could have an energy drink, but she knew better. Everyday was busy for her thanks to all the demands placed upon her, and this in part was helping her get over the death of Wario. With floors of gardens to take care of and running a pizza shop on her own, things looked better than they did before.

Well, they almost were. For some reason, Larry Koopa did not show up on time for the meeting. This put all of his responsibilities on her (being the Vice Chair of the survival group inside Genlic), and she was forced to respond to a bunch of questions and many of them she did not know the answer to. At first, Mona figured that Larry had decided to sleep late and she tried to continue the usual morning routine without him. But now a half an hour had gone by and she started to worry. She sipped on some orange juice and glanced at his empty seat for a moment.

"Has anyone seen Larry yet?" she asked openly.

"Hmmm...not that I know of." replied Kooper, looking through a clipboard. "I still say he overslept again."

"Well, I'm going to go check up on him. You're almost done anyways, right?"

"Yeah." Kooper bit into a biscuit. "Well, besides that whole moss problem."

Mona stood up and finished her last slice before heading out of the room from where Larry usually came in. She had been down the hallway once before, during the other time when Larry refused to get up. No one else wanted to bother themselves in trying to find his quarters, so after a bit of exploring she had found it by accident. Larry had a tendency to be lazy in the mornings.

Stepping onto the circular lift, it lifted her up several floors before stopping. She walked out of the room and into hallway when she abruptly stopped.

There in the middle of the hall was a strange crystal structure, floating above the floor. Inside of it a strange darkness whirled about, and it was some time before Mona found the courage to move closer. Soon it became obvious who was inside of it, frozen as if in suspended animation.

"Oh shit.." she muttered, and immediately run back towards the elevator. "Hey, all of you guys! Get up here NOW! Emergency!" she shouted. Inhaling, she ran back and pounded her fist on the crystal. "Hey! Larry! You hear me?" But it was useless. He did not respond, and continued to gaze out the windows towards the western horizon.

As Mona followed his stare, it was then that she noticed a growing cloud of darkness growing to the north, inside of the Koopa Kingdom. What she saw next was something she was unprepared for.

"Oh...my god..."

* * *

It was a dark and quiet room, save for the dull hum of the engines that permeated throughout the submarine. At 1600 feet below sea level, one was almost guaranteed quiet and secrecy. With the hull built from nano bots designed to absorb all magic and to cloak one's magic signature with ease, the HCS Amadeus was certainly one of the better achievements of Ludwig Von Koopa. Formally known as the Doom Sub, it had been refitted years prior and tested in a number of stealth experiments against Bowser's own henchmen, preparing for a day when Ludwig would have to fight his late father Bowser for the throne. He was most fortunate that never came to pass.

Now fast asleep with his girlfriend Kylie Koopa, he knew that no one would be able to detect them, aside from those determined to chase him down. Perhaps they were "The Society" that his father had mentioned before his death. He believed the story, after witnessing strange peculiarities during his long stint as Crown Prince of the Koopa Kingdom. However, he didn't nearly have enough information. This, plus the fact that he was being hunted down by an unknown party (presumably the Society) made him delay his advance towards the throne. He had wondered if they knew who he was to begin with, but also knew they had no way of verifying. In the meantime, he decided to try to enjoy what little pleasures were left before his big move.

Ludwig rolled over and spooned his girlfriend with a sigh of contentment. Not long after this came a siren. He was up almost immediately, scrambling to get his bathrobe on. An emergency had been declared and he was needed on the bridge. Then came a loud knock on his door.

"Sir! Major emergency! The entire Koopa Kingdom is under attack!"

"What?!" He opened the door. "By whom?"

"We don't know, your majesty."

Kylie struggled to open her eyes. "What?" was all she could mutter: she had too much to drink the night before. But Ludwig and the crew member were already running down the hallway.

"What do you mean "I don't know?" retorted Ludwig. "The attacker should be plainly obvious to any casual observer! Did you happen to scry out a flag or-"

"They are not troopa's, sir!" said the shocked cadet. "They are...we don't know. They've never been identified. There's so many of them, and I've never seen any of them in all my years of cadet service."

"...what could be occurring?" was all Ludwig managed to say before they reached the bridge of the submarine. The operators were all in a panic with most of them typing away at their consoles and shouting back and forth. Others could not stop looking at what was in front them. One of the sub's drones had surfaced and was filming the Koopa Kingdom offshore. Great dark, purplish clouds had covered the entire kingdom, blotting out whatever light was available to it. While this was more characteristic of a imminent invasion by Bowser, the reason seemed more ominous. Great creatures were seen roaming the coastlines. Some were climbing the skyscrapers, needlessly smashing windows and eating any denizen unfortunate enough to come near. Others flew in the sky: great beasts that had 3 eyes, a long narrow mouth packed with teeth and a serpent like shape, circling around people who were trying to flee their terror. Most however were already on the ground. Some were these large beasts with bulging eyeballs and huge, long faces with skin hanging from their chins. Everywhere they went they shook the ground, which seemed to cause more than just minor quakes. In the far distance, more beasts were seen coming from the mountains, mostly two footed creatures that stormed towards the city, including Bowser's Castle.

"...what." was all Ludwig could say. It was as if he had walked into a nightmare. He had seen none of the creatures before and they were numerous, roaming the streets and seemingly taking control of them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a creature that looked familiar work it's way behind a hillside. Over 20 feet tall with curled horns and a large snout, it was the spitting image of a devil bent on destruction, and a flashback briefly hit Ludwig before he winced in pain.

"What do we do?" asked the cadet.

"I have no idea!" said one of the controllers.

"I was asking the captain!" responded the cadet. But Ludwig merely sat down in his chair and held his head, ignoring the rest of the commotion. He remembered that one. It was the same thing he saw in his youth. One of their creatures. It was so powerful that it knocked him unconscious and nearly killed him. Bowser was forced to take it head on, he was told. But after that day, Ludwig did not see him again until 3 months after the crowning, when Lemmy was born. He thought little of it at the time, and surmised it was related to state duty. But after what happened in the Mushroom Kingdom just days ago...

"Um, what's this?" asked a sleepy Kylie, not fully believing it. "Am I seeing things right, and the Kingdom just got invaded by a bunch of giant creatures for absolutely no reason?"

"Punishment, no doubt." said one operator. "The gods have punished us. First Naru comes back, then they strip us to nothing. I told you it's all true."

Ludwig looked forward. That was it, the cover up. But this was more than just Bowser. What Larry did was a major favor, and Ludwig could not thank him enough for it. It forced his opponents to recalculate their positions and put him in a better political light. In fact, Lemmy had canceled his arrest warrant soon after the announcement. But this? There was no way Junior could pull this off. All of this brought Ludwig back to Bowser's last words. He had rumor of a society that guided the actions of his father, but none of Ludwig's spies ever uncovered anything.

"Junior is within that belligerence..." Ludwig said to himself. "This is not his work." It couldn't be anybody else. He needed more information, but sending out any transmissions could very well compromise his position. The only potential route would be through magic, and even that was sketchy. He turned to Kylie.

"There is a persistent rumor in my family concerning our power." he said quietly. "It began in the days of my grandfather Morton. While under the despotic rule of King Wolfgang, he received the diary of an ancestor of mine. Seemingly pretentious, it was all but ignored until the sudden assassination of Wolfgang by an unknown hand. With a newfound perspective, he gained an understanding of what the words were attempting to convey. It is unfortunate that his revolution never saw his goal manifest into existence. It is rumored by my associates that Bowser would attempt to carry on the mission." Ludwig paused. "Something went wrong, if that was the case."

Kylie looked up. "Yeah, somethings wrong with this picture. Your brother makes his speech and suddenly someone's got their thumb on it. Now why would they do that?"

"I understand. But I have no information concerning the party involved in the attack. I cannot make a move until then."

"Those guys are going to be loco by then." countered Kylie, looking at the operators.

"Much of the population is at the moment, I would imagine." said Ludwig. But little did they know that this was just the beginning. At that moment, a bright light shone in the distance, around Bowser's Castle. Growing, it engulfed the entirety of the castle and it seemed to attract many of the creatures towards it. Despite their effort, they could not penetrate that light. Instead, the closer they got, the more pain they felt until their skin and flesh melted away behind them, leaving nothing but skeletons that fell harmlessly to the ground.

"I would advise everyone that the light is undeniably emanating from some machination of Lemuel Koopa." stated Ludwig. "Essentially the same machination that was put forth earlier."

"What is it?" asked Kylie.

"It is white magic." responded Ludwig. "Extremely potent white magic. It is something our family was forbidden to learn. Kamek feverishly forbade any studying of the white spell tomes in our youth. It seems as though Lemuel has some knowledge of it, but what device he is using to conjure up this current manifestation, I do not know." He paused for a moment. "Indubitably, the more important question is essentially, 'What now?'"

"You can't fight Junior now." mentioned Kylie.

"Considering the improbability of Junior conjuring an army from the lower hells, Junior for the moment is irrelevant." said Ludwig. "I myself am convinced that Larry has triggered something catastrophic." He sat up. "Please open a channel to King Larry. Encrypt the transmission with the interweaving cryptographic layer that was most recently installed."

"...very well." one of the operators managed to respond. The screen in the center blanked for a moment, and then there was pitch black. No picture came through.

"Strange." Ludwig muttered. The video feed was working correctly and from Ludwig's glance, the transmission was not hijacked. He considered something wrong on the other end when he noticed a foaming darkness, rolling like clouds near the edges of the screen. Some of them suddenly rolled out and crawled along the steel walls surrounding the screen. Ludwig, upon realizing what was occurring went wide eyed and stood up immediately.

"Kill it!" he shouted. Immediately the transmission was cut, but the black clouds that escaped continued to swirl outwards and one made its way towards one of the operators. A young koopa troopa, he took notice and immediately bolted from his chair and looked to run, but Ludwig was one step ahead of him. Blue beams went this way and that, and each cloud upon being hit was spun upon itself. Soon, all of the clouds spired themselves into nothingness until all that was left were the stained walls surrounding the middle screen, which were now pitch black.

"That was a demonstration of extremely potent black magic." grumbled Ludwig. "Needless to say, this is extremely unfortunate."

"Maybe someone tapped into the line?" suggested the cadet.

"I didn't detect anything." said one operator.

"Indeed, for the problem lies with Larry." said Ludwig, sitting back down. "There is only one possible conclusion: he is engulfed by black magic." He sighed. "It is a shame he never discussed his newfound position beforehand. Otherwise, these events may have played out differently. This has now convinced me that Junior is in no way responsible for this animosity. Even Bowser himself would be ill-equipped with such knowledge. The magic that surrounds Larry may very well manipulate the rest of my family, given his exalted position."

"Then what do we do?" asked Kylie. There was silence for a moment. "Cause if he's commanding Junior now, not out of free will or anything-"

"That is a piece of the puzzle." said Ludwig. "But the whole picture, the collage of powers swirling about, it echoes absolute control. My father used to practice this during his later kingship, but this current dilemma is much worse. It is deliberate."

"Why would anybody want to control the world like this?" asked Kylie, unable to help herself. But Ludwig did not have a response. He could say something about the collection of rumors he has piled together over the past few decades, but none of them were confirmed to be facts. He needed facts and he needed them now. Otherwise, they were charting blind and who knew what this unknown enemy was capable of? He thought for a moment, well aware of his limitations in communications and how it might be bypassed. This was when one of the bigger rumors came to light, and he became intensely curious.

Ludwig got up. "I shall attempt a solution to push us from this current debacle, but the methods used are a state secret, so I must depart the bridge." He turned to Kylie. "If you will." he said, before turning to the exit.

"I could." she said coyly.

"It would be most appreciated." he said before opening the door and walking out of the room. Kylie huffed to her self. "Even though I know nothing about this stuff, sure, why not?" Although, on second thought, she realized that she could snoop on some of his stuff and felt better about it.

Ludwig walked to the end of the hall and slipped into a room on his right. Shutting the door, he ignited the mimicry of a fireplace before taking a seat in a large plush chair. He pulled out the Wand of Bowser that was given to him just days ago. It was a long, grayish stone piece with a large red ruby set on its end. Just below this were 4 busts of Bowser's head, circling around below the circumference. The wand was surrounded with rumors, but one stood out in Ludwig's mind: that of secret compartments that enabled Bowser to do various things. He never got the time to examine the wand since his departure form the Mushroom Kingdom: plagued by attacks and deep mines dropped by an unknown enemy, he was forced into finding a good hiding spot. But now that he was confident the same enemy was invading the Koopa Kingdom and that the attacks on him had slowed significantly, he decided to take a risk of exposure.

Ludwig turned the wand and inspected the various features carved into it. They were rock solid, and nothing pushed in or made a noise. It wasn't until he touched one of the eyes of Bowser that he had found something. With his claw, he slid the fake eye aside and found a red button. Well aware of the intents of such a button, he decided it was not what he was looking for. But getting the idea, he slid the eye back into place and tried the other eye: nothing. Turning the wand to the next face, he found another fake eye and slid it aside: this time a yellow button. So the rumor was undoubtedly true, the question was now their purpose. A yellow button could be many things and Ludwig was looking for a specific color. Sliding the eye back into place, he checked the third head and sure enough, another fake eye. This one yielded a blue button, and Ludwig smiled gleefully. The rumor was true and it made sense. There was no other easy way to communicate with him from long distances.

He pressed it. Nothing happened for a moment, and then the ruby glowed before emanating a spherical gray light above it. As the sphere focused in, an old Koopa with a long blue hood was seen in place, donning round spectacles that essentially defined his person.

"Yes your majesty, how may I...Ludwig? What has happened to Bowser?" asked a surprised Kamek.

"Kamek," said Ludwig. "Your assistance is requested once again. Bowser has passed, mortally wounded in a meteor shower a few days past."

Kamek stared at him for a moment, then hung his head. "Rest in piece, my lord." After a moment he looked back at Ludwig. "This is terrible news. This must be why I have been unable to detect his wand as of late, as he must have given it to you."

"Precisely. It is being contained within a large apparatus dubbed the Amadeus, the exact reason why no other person can detect my location, aside from the unknown party attempting to assail me. But now the whole kingdom is in peril, and I must request your assistance in liberating it from this plague, and of the provocateurs that caused this."

"I have seen dark clouds to my north on my journey." mentioned Kamek. "And I had guessed the worst. Surely, they would not have tolerated the open truth for long, and it was a grave error by Larry I'm afraid. Brave, but foolish."

"Define 'they'." demanded Ludwig. "I need to obtain all I can about them."

"Yes, you do." Kamek said, agreeing. "Though it is unfortunate that our time is limited. I had set out on my last quest to tie up a few...strings I failed to tie in the past, and it may prove to be my undoing. But I cannot ignore this, it would be irresponsible of me. As you may of guessed, Junior is now under the control of the UmNaru."

"So that is their name?" asked Ludwig.

"Indeed. And Larry is under their control as well, which has far reaching consequences. Using the Blood Wand, they can control members of your family and will stop at nothing at complete domination. With Junior's Earth Wand, they will be able to control the common population and if left unchecked, will control almost everything. You must act as soon as possible. What do you have in mind, in regards to countering them?" asked Kamek, adjusting his glasses.

Ludwig thought for a moment. "I had originally conceived of a land based invasion, using the vehicles which I now possess to roll across the land unopposed. However, that is no longer an option and a different tactic must be utilized. In order to best gauge their offensive, I will need to know what the UmNaru possess in order to counter them."

"They own far more than you know." said Kamek. "They possess immeasurable magic capabilities across nearly the entire spectrum. They are weak to white magic, which I imagine is one reason why the castle is glowing at the moment." Kamek scratched his chin. "Perhaps its the Wand of Koopa. That would be upsetting for them."

"And that is?"

"The wand used by the founder of our race, named only Koopa." responded Kamek. "It is capable of magic across the entire spectrum, and it seems that somebody has retrieved it from the far north where it was buried nearly 650 years ago, or perhaps had created a device capable of sustaining those energies. But as you recall, I forbade the teaching of that range."

"Quite right."

"And I never kept any white magic relics in the inner sanctum. So it must be that wand. Heh, I once mused to myself what would happen if your lesser brother Lemmy would be able to find it."

"It is confirmed that he has taken the castle for himself." said Ludwig. "There was a large flash of light, and a day afterward Junior's flag was pulled down and replaced with Lemuel's standard."

"Well well, that is very interesting." chuckled Kamek. "Certainly he has bought you time so you may ascend to the throne."

"I assume Bowser's clone has not undergone the ceremony required for the kingship due to the turmoil?" questioned Ludwig.

"You assume correctly," stated Kamek, "Despite having all the genetics of an Earth King, the ceremony is not yet complete. Otherwise, I would have seen it within my minds eye, much like what happened to Larry during his ascension."

"Hmm. Then there must be a way to access that chamber by a different means. Traditionally, it was from the bottommost dungeon of the castle, and the party proceeded with solemn ceremony to the Cathedral. However, the entire expanse is littered with natural caverns and I assume there is an entrance somewhere above ground, or otherwise."

"Once again, you assume right." said Kamek. "However, you are unaware of the fact that the UmNaru stronghold is essentially underneath the entire Koopa Kingdom under a mile or more of rock. This is their base of operations, and partly how they have been able to control a number of monarchies in the past beginning in the time of King Telxin. They have a policy to never show themselves unless forced under the worst circumstance, and let henchmen do their bidding for them. But in any case, it is true that if you were to follow most of the caverns above the surface now to their original starting place, you would be found by the Naru long before then."

"But there must be a way to get to the Divine Cathedral by an underground route without detection?" inquired Ludwig.

Kamek thought to himself. "There is an old legend that I recall. When The Hammer passed away near the beginning of the dynasty a pyramid was erected in his honor and a sarcophagus was placed inside the burial chamber, but it never contained any body. I believe Iggy would have more details of that incident, as he is in that area."

"Iggy has not been seen since the destruction of the Galaxy." Ludwig frowned.

"So it seems. Then I will get straight to the point. There is another persistent rumor that floated soon after, that said he was secretly buried in a land of fire and ash, deep below the surface. It was only assessable by two means: one of which was a long journey through the dark, starting from the castle of course. The other was accessed by sea."

"How convenient." said Ludwig.

Kamek thought for a moment. "But before I go on, I must make my confession."

"About?"

"I have told Larry, but I was in league with the UmNaru for generations, beginning with your grandfather Morton. It was a requirement for all wielders of magic at that time, Magikoopa's we are called now. It was a time of great forgetting. The gem your grandfather retrieved however set the course for their own destruction, I believe."

"I assume you speak of the Diary of Richard." said Ludwig.

"Indeed, and this rumor is true. I have read it and it clarified many of my questions. Please pardon me as I am working from memory, but I will try to recall as best as I can. Richard had found the Tomb of Marthos underneath the present Koopa Kingdom after he escaped the Mushroom invasion of that time. He had noted its location in his diary, but when it was first dug, the sea level was much lower than it is now. Several pole shifts have passed since his burial, and I believe the sea level has risen quite considerably since then."

"That is not an issue, as my device can traverse the depths with ease." said Ludwig. "I would gladly appreciate any location of this tomb that you may remember."

"It is not just about locating the tomb." said Kamek. "It is about passing through the homeland of the UmNaru. You would have to cross more than half its length."

"That is not an issue." said Ludwig. "I have crafted myself a suit that has many of the properties that my current device does now. They will be unable to detect my signature, even when I am within their vicinity. It is crafted from nano fibers able to withstand any inquiries as to my nature, as well as many other things."

"Have they been able to track you at the moment?" asked Kamek.

"I will admit, only from locational judgment." responded Ludwig. "We have blocked many magic infiltration attempts since our departure."

"Then they will see through your plan." said Kamek. "Especially if you plan on attempting the underwater passage."

"Very well, I will make a diversionary tactic." said Ludwig. "The Amadeus will not attempt to cross into the area. I will enter it myself."

"Really? You are confident that you will not be detected?" asked Kamek. "What of the rest of your men?"

"I will not dispatch with any squadron. I will travel to the Divine Cathedral by myself."

Kamek was silent.

"There are few other options," continued Ludwig, "For the suit that I have constructed is only for my own person, and customized for battle circumstances for any possibility. My squadron is not trained along any lines of magic capability. As far as Kylie is concerned, we must not be captured together if that event transpires. I have a plan for her, along with the crew."

"If you are that confident about your power, then I will be willing to help." said Kamek. "I will send you the approximate location to Bowser's wand as my time is growing short. Just know that this passage runs in the middle of their stronghold to the Divine Cathedral, so you will need to use stealth tactics of some kind to avoid capture. While inside the tomb, there should be a wand, the Wand of Marthos. It is steeped in white magic from the ancient days but if you are able to take it, it will help you in many ways."

"How so, aside from what Lemuel is able to perform?"

"The UmNaru are descended from Marthos. That line was never really destroyed, but it explains why the surviving son of Inauro, Rendell suddenly disappeared following that pole shift. They have been unable to retrieve their own ancestor's wand because they surround themselves in black magic. Ironic, really. But if your aura can tolerate the cleansing properties of white magic, you may be able to capture the wand and use it against them, much like how they use the Wand of Telxin against your family right now."

"This explains many things." said Ludwig.

"Indeed. I will now send the location to you and get myself going. My target is approaching, someone I should have killed long ago and this may be my only chance. Also, one last thing. I will send you a spell that should retrieve something that's been stored in that wand for some time. I believe it is still there, unless Bowser had moved it but I do not think so. God speed Ludwig, and may the Koopa family live forever into eternity." And with that, Kamek's face disappeared and was replaced by what seemed to be an ancient map of an underwater cliff face, which branched into a map of an underground cavity, with notes displaying the approximate locations of surface settlements.

Ludwig smiled widely. This was perfect, and if his plan worked without a hitch then they would never detect him nor anyone on board. The screen then switched to a worded spell, written in middle Koopa. Deciding to fiddle with that later, he put the wand away and promptly took a piece of paper to scribble down his plan for Kylie to follow. She would not like it, but for her safety and political considerations, she needed to follow through with it. After finishing, Ludwig made his way back to the bridge of the Amadeus. There he found Kylie drinking a cup of coffee and chatting with the operators. Upon noticing his arrival, they all looked at him expecting an announcement.

"Due to the nature of the assignment, I will be traveling to the Divine Cathedral alone." Ludwig stated frankly, and held up his hand to cease the abrupt commotion. "No other person aboard this vessel has the capability to do this. Therefore, I have prescribed a plan that will be carried out immediately after my departure. Kylie, you must lead my regiment to the harbor of Abala, which lies within the Koopahari Desert. Abandon the vessel, and set the system to sink to the ocean floor when the essentials have been vacated. After, make way towards the shelter of Penny Crygor, and wait there until I give my signal to return back to the Koopa Kingdom proper." He handed Kylie the piece of paper he had written on earlier.

Kylie frowned. "I would go with you if I could. Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"If we are separated, then within the worst case scenario, they cannot use us as bargaining pieces." said Ludwig. "This plan also maintains your current safety, as it is highly unlikely they will search for you in the desert."

"Why not Iggy?" asked Kylie.

"I have been unable to contact him since the destruction of the Galaxy." said Ludwig. "We must not take any chances now. I must fulfill a destiny began by my grandfather, perhaps earlier. Now with their plans enveloping us all, I have little choice but to carry out this wish: to destroy the usurpers of my family, and return control of not only our selves, but for the common denizen as well. With Lawrence incapacitated, there is now one else who can do this." He smiled at Kylie. "This is why our gregarious moments must be fully appreciated, for all lives crumble to dust in time."

"But they happened. That's what matters, right?"

"Precisely." Ludwig turned to go, but was suddenly hugged from behind by Kylie. "I don't want to lose you." she said quietly, "Specially what we have to go through later."

"I told you it was a good idea." smirked Ludwig.

"You're just delaying the inevitable and you know it. What if you die now?"

"I won't." he said. "Keep your faith in me." And he walked out of her grip and through the door. Kylie just stared after him with a mixed expression. It was a double edged sword, living with royalty and dealing with life and death situations on a constant basis. It wasn't until it hit home that one began to realize what was at stake.

"Alright..." Kylie managed to gather herself and sat back down in her lover's chair. "Let's do this." She wasn't fully ready, but she could've said that about a lot of things. It certainly was the same many years ago when Ludwig found her when he traveled to the past. She would just do what she's always done: have faith in herself.

Outside, the Amadeus plunged into the deep sea and moved forward towards the continental self of the Koopa Kingdom. It wasn't before long that it arrived at its destination, not parked far outside the waters of the Koopa Kingdom to begin with. Suddenly, the ship rocked and a large cloud of smoke erupted from the exhaust. It drifted parallel along the shelf, and amidst the deliberate chaos was the launching of Ludwig, in a suit of grayish silver armor. After some work, he pinpointed the location of the underground alcove and quickly entered it. With jet propulsion he quickly made his way through the narrow water channel until he surfaced in near darkness. Up ahead, there was a dull light around a corner.

Exiting the water, Ludwig walked slowly, getting used to the somewhat bulky mass he now occupied. He turned several corners, and the light grew brighter as he traveled. Around one more corner was a glowing door, covered in symbols Ludwig could not understand. At once a headache erupted inside of his mind, and Ludwig clenched his helmet and fought with himself not to take it off, for fear of being detected. He stayed that way for 5 minutes, trying to get used to the pain, but the pain eventually subsided and was able to stand up straight again.

Walking up to the door, he saw a claw print much bigger than his in the center. Putting his hand upon it, he flinched in pain for a moment before the door opened upwards, revealing a dark corridor. Turning on his headlights, he entered the hallway before the door closed behind him.


	9. 25: Awakening

Penny Crygor opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry, but she could make out metallic walls and safety mechanisms, and knew she was still in her escape pod. It seemed to rock back and forth, and moving her head towards the window saw the ocean waves lap against it on a clear sunny day. She had no idea how long she had been unconscious. She tried to lift herself, but her head throbbed in pain, forcing her to lay back down. She thought she saw something surface above the waves before losing consciousness.

* * *

A thud woke Penny again. She was inside a strange vehicle, and saw next to her the sun shining across the vast Koopahari desert. Someone next to her administered water, giving her a mouthful and she swallowed earnestly.

"Don't worry, we're almost there." said a feminine voice. It sounded familiar, but Penny couldn't think about it. Indeed, before long her mind slipped back into unconsciousness again.

* * *

Penny woke once again. She was in a cool, shadowy place of what appeared to be concrete. Her vision focusing, she saw it was old concrete: those of old ruins. Seeing the hieroglyphs written on the walls motivated her to sit up, albeit with some pain. She felt a bandage wrapped around her forehead, running her fingers through it. Somehow, she had been knocked out when she landed in the ocean. Penny guessed that someone had rescued her, but who? It seemed the rescuing party had known about the Temple of Inauro, Penny's survival shelter situated in the middle of the Koopahari desert. Aside from those who were invited to help build the site and reside here, the location was not freely given out to the public.

"Hey, she's up!" came a voice. In the center of the room was a large crowd that surrounded what appeared to be a Koopa with a pink shell and green hat.

"What's going on?" Penny asked. They all looked towards her, and the pink Koopa quickly told them something before running over. Most of the group then scattered, though some remained to watch their leader recover.

"So these people tell me you're Penny Crygor." the koopa said.

"Yes, who are you?" Penny asked.

"Oh, just the Crown Princess of the Koopa Kingdom. Nothing big, really." Penny clearly didn't get it, so the koopa leaned in. "It's Kylie Koopa." she whispered.

"Oh geez, I'm sorry." apologized Penny.

"Don't be. You took a hit to the head, right?" Kylie remarked. "How about you try to stand up, and I'll show you what I did to your place."

Penny positioned herself before she slowly stood up on her feet. She felt a little dizzy, but otherwise everything else seemed to be fine. Considering her circumstances, she was lucky to be found in the middle of the ocean in the first place. Her escape pod had veered far off course from its destination to the temple.

"You are one lucky girl." commented Kylie. "You were only a few miles from shore. If this planet hadn't done its little dance, you would've been home free. But don't ask me about that stuff, I'm no wizz."

"I already know all about it, but thanks." said Penny. "I'm lucky you found me."

"Yeah, if my husband hadn't decided to move my butt to the middle of the desert, I'd still be with him." said Kylie. "But life has its reasons sometimes, and I'm glad to help out."

"The desert isn't so bad." remarked Penny. "You've probably seen the gardens below level here. We have a good sized aquifer below us and finished tapping it before the Galaxy decided to shred itself apart. Plus, we're in the middle of nowhere so I doubt most people will ever find us."

"Unless you already know." winked Kylie. "How do you think I got here, hm?"

"Good point."

"If you have the tech and the knowledge, then it's a piece of cake."

"Still, I don't think people will see the benefit of living out here." argued Penny.

Kylie huffed. "Here, I'll show you around." They made their way out of the room and into a long hallway, where many people were working on multiple things at once. It was something akin to a hornet's nest, with some carrying supplies to the underground, others carrying tools to various locations, while small groups conversed amongst themselves discussing a variety of topics. It was clear that Kylie had set everything into motion upon her arrival. Sunlight filtered down from the other end of the hall, and this is what they walked towards.

"You did all of this?" asked Penny.

Kylie hummed. "They were kind of doing it themselves when I came in. Of course, when you have people like me show up, they work faster, so maybe a little bit of both? I still have to hand it to you. They've been taking care of themselves while you've been away, keeping this place alive even without a boss. That's how you do it."

Penny simply nodded. They walked up an incline and before they knew it, they were outside. It seemed to be late afternoon, and behind them the sun was lowering in the sky, a large ball of orange. Only a few other people were outside working with spotlights and some construction work. It seemed most of the supplies were already inside.

"Hey, did you hear anything about my brother-in-law?" asked Kylie. "Ludwig says that you're 'practically' his girlfriend and should know."

Penny blushed. "It's nothing like that. I've just known Iggy for years since we do similar things, and he now has his own site that he was supposed to dig up."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, it's supposed to be south of this place." But as Penny looked, she saw nothing but desert in every direction, except for a collection of strange vehicles clustered together south of the temple. "He never dug it up?"

"That's not a good sign, is it?" asked Kylie.

"No it's not. He should have dug this up long before now."

"We've heard nothing about Iggy for almost a week now." said Kylie. "You are the best guess."

"I don't know where he is, to be honest. I think he was going to start digging right around when the Galaxy was destroyed. I don't know what happened." It was not good. Despite the fact that Iggy's site included the Temple of Inauro itself, he was supposed to help with translations and site planning. She couldn't help but feel a little worried.

Kylie seemed to notice her anguish, and gave her a smile. "Don't worry about it. Knowing his family, they bounce back from everything. I'm sure he'll show up when you're not looking."

Penny did not respond, but turned back towards the sunset, now lowering towards the horizon. "Where are you, Iggy?"

* * *

The stars flew overhead. He had seen everything. He had remembered himself in this wheel of time, but could not find a way out. Was it his inability? Or was he missing something? Through the overlapping congruences of lives he sought the knowledge that could bring him back home, a reprieve from this eternal remembrance. Yet a knowing within told him this was just the beginning. His future blocked and trapped within himself, he needed to find a way out, or more specifically, find someone that already knew. The process of remembering was beginning to wear down his nerves from life to life.

He sought it out then, a desire that aligned with his, somewhere in this mess of forgetfulness that he called the Koopa race.

* * *

The sun crawled down the western valley, painting the sky a brilliant orange on an otherwise cloudless day. The machinations had ceased, and the workers were gathered in prayer. Their harvest had passed, plentiful and in acceptance. Loud noises filled the land, and great ships rose into the sky, leaving behind large plumes of smoke in their wake. As if in response, the chanting tumultuously rose into peaks and sank into valleys, reflecting the journey their masters must take.

A distance away inside of a temple was a large Koopa with white hair who sat in shadow in deep contemplation. Watching the ships rise into the sky through a long narrow window, he knew that his age was essentially over. No, not just this age. Koopa's old dream had come to an end. The wand had been taken from him, and he knew it was only a matter of time. That's the way the war was heading in after all.

"No future, huh?" he muttered to himself before standing up with a sigh. "There is always a future. Even if the sons of Naru control us." It was true: their own evolution was no longer in their hands. But even without the wand, and even under the control of the despots they could make great strides.

He walked through the now darkening hallways and entered a large circular room with many peculiarities. The ceiling was riddled with wheels within wheels, with glyphs on each section. And surrounding this was a larger circle that, within its circumference, seemed as though it was displaying many things at once in full motion. In the center lay the present moment, but to the left lay his father's time and to his right, what he knew to be the day of reckoning.

A history lesson, indeed. He knew the dream could not die now, or their race was destined to be a failure. They could not become like the gods at any cost, or it would spell their downfall.

He waved his hand and all the wheels were set into motion. Time rotated, and the great days of the line of Marthos faded away into strange histories of war and darkness until a dark cloud covered the rest of the future.

"Their victory will be at hand unless the wand is retrieved." he said to himself. But who would dare to step upon their homeworld? It was steeped within the negative energies, and he had already been dethroned. Had he acted earlier and ran with the Spirit Wand before the Naru arrived, he may have had a chance. But that was folly, for their technology was far greater than his.

"Did you lose the wand?" came a voice, much younger than his. He turned and saw his son Paradus standing in the hallway he had come from, with a large tuft of spiked yellow hair on his head.

"It was a matter of time. I knew this war would come to a bitter end, with Celman laying down the guardianship of our family. I had no choice, save the penalty of death."

"They can kill the spirit kings?" Paradus asked, curious.

"Indeed. Even I, Dantek, was powerless to stop them. They have more magic than our ancestor Koopa had given to us and threatened to overrule my own. I must live on for the moment."

Paradus frowned.

"Do not worry. The Spirit Wand is the best defense against them, One day, you will retrieve it."

Paradus made a face, then suddenly burst out laughing. Dantek was taken aback. "What?"

The child made a movement with his arm, and suddenly something bright emerged from the palm of his hand: a long wand, whose substance could not be seen due to the bright light that encircled it.

"The wand...but, the Naru just took it from me!" said a surprised Dantek, but his face calmed upon a realization. "Then, this is not the real flow of time. This must be your soul memory."

"Correct. This is my reality, but a shadow of your own self." confirmed Paradus.

"Where is your current incarnation?"

Paradus sighed. "I've been all across time looking for it, visiting my past lives, seeing if I had the knowledge then to find it. The road has led here. You were the last Spirit King, and I seemed to have been your son. About 200 years after this pole shift, I heard rumor about a wheel of time."

Dantek looked at him for a long while. "You tell your son to retrieve the Wand of the Spirit, and he will do so. Just not in my lifetime." He smiled. "Very well. I will help you as your days ahead are filled with darkness."

"How far ahead?" asked Paradus. "I believe I am from the future, but I do not remember exactly."

"Many ages from now." answered Dantek. "It seems they will win control over us unless the Spirit Wand is present. The Naru have it now, in this time-"

"So they do not anticipate it's return." concluded Paradus. "I must go back and help them if I can, though I do not know how long I have been gone."

"If the vessel has been carefully preserved, then you will be able to reincarnate inside of it." said Dantek. "As you are here, it seems obvious you do not know how to do this yourself." He turned the other way. "Erzembar!"

"Yes, your majesty." came a deep, bellowing voice seemingly coming from all directions.

"Though I no longer possess the wand, it seems a spirit from the future does and he needs your assistance."

"Very well." There was silence for a moment. "Ah, Paradus. The time anomaly has been identified at last. Do you wish to reincarnate back into your source vessel?"

"...yes." said Paradus after a moment.

"As you wish. I will send to your mind the instructions necessary to perform this act. This will guide your spirit back to the source vessel from which it originated." At once, the mind of Paradus was filled with the words of an incantation and the wand began to glow brighter, seemingly responding to them. Memories flashed by him, many of which he had lived himself not too long ago. He had been there, looking for the answer and now all of his experiences seemed to wrap around him at once. Reality became a blur of visions, and he did not know where he would end up, though he knew he was doing the right thing.

Soon, the words transformed into a white light which shut everything out, but even this was fleeting as suddenly, the light went out and there was nothing but darkness.

* * *

Iggy opened his eyes. Lying on his stomach, he saw a bright light that his right arm was holding: The Wand of the Spirit. But he could not move the arm, and it lay next to him, its skin gray and seemingly lifeless. A pool of dried blood caught his attention, surrounding where he lay. Suddenly realizing the situation, Iggy breathed in deep and tried to move himself, any part of himself, but nothing worked save for his head which was pierced with a sharp warmth. Lifting it, he became more aware of his surroundings and the distinct hum that sounded through the floor, but he could not feel anything in his limbs.

"Please be patient, Paradus." came a deep voice that rang out in every direction. "The blood of your vessel must reanimate what has lay dormant."

"Wha?" Iggy managed to mouth out. "Who...are you?"

Several noises were heard above him. "My apologies, Ignatius. I have updated the language parameters. I am Erzembar, the mainframe for the Temple of the Spirit." it said. "In this time space, I have become buried in the sands and require your assistance to unearth the complex."

Iggy knew the name, but was more focused on trying to sit up. Blood had finally begun to pump through his body, and it was as if a sharp fire coursed through his veins. His regained control of his arms first, and he tried to climb into the pilots chair inside the cockpit. More or less successful, he looked outside and found the ship was hovering in the middle of the air, seemingly on its own.

"What happened?" inevitably asked Iggy.

"The royal ship of Dantek Koopa was found crash landed approximately 65 miles outside of my location. As it is within range of the temple's outer radial protocol, I have reactivated the ship and reincarnated your soul as you requested within the 2nd age."

Iggy blinked. "What?"

"It seems you have not mastered the abilities of the Spirit Wand." explained Erzembar. "Upon your death, your soul transferred itself to previous lives, perhaps in an attempt to learn how to revive the latest vessel. You seemed to have learned of my existence, which is fortunate. It will take approximately 20 minutes for your tissues to be deemed in livable state."

"I died?!" Iggy panicked, and attempted to stand on his legs, but he forgot about his condition and fell flat on his stomach.

"Please do not stress yourself." iterated Erzembar, but Iggy payed him no attention. Grabbing a bar on the wall, he hoisted himself up and managed to pick up his feet, leaning against the wall for support. Using the bar, he dragged himself outside of the cockpit and into the hallway like an old man, slowly feeling his legs come back to life.

Iggy needed to get to his bag, where his laptop and medical supplies were, and he saw them laying on a long red couch at the far end. But before he came up with a plan to cross the room, he passed by something strange to his right. He looked and he was suddenly met with the reflection of his face: gray, dark and shrunken, as if he had not eaten in a million years. As if he had died.

Reality finally sank into him, and he looked down at his body and found that much of his skin was indeed grayish and seemingly saggy in places, though color was beginning to come back into his arms. He looked back at his face with dread, searching himself for the answers. He was met with a million visions that suddenly flashed through his mind.

"Arrrrg!" He held his head before banging it against the wall. He could see nothing else but visions that didn't seem to be his. But as they passed through his mind, he began to recognize at least one of them that he had dreamed about back on board the Galaxy. No, there was two of them now. Three. Were these past lives? Iggy knew that before he even retrieved the wand, he didn't even consider the theory of incarnation seriously, being a stickler to the logical ways of science. It had all began on that fateful day when he first touched it upon Naru. In a way, he felt a bit humbled.

The visions ceased. Iggy opened his eyes, staring down at the floor beneath him. "This is Dantek's ship, correct?" Iggy asked.

"That is correct." affirmed Erzembar.

"He was my dad at one point." remarked Iggy. "The last Spirit King." He scoffed to himself. "Figures everything comes full circle." He pushed himself upright and found his legs could finally bear his weight. He slowly walked forward into the main cabin, although his legs felt like lead.

"It seems you remember yourself now." remarked Erzembar. "This is fortunate, as the activation of the temple will now be a smoother procedure."

Iggy stopped walking. He felt a weakness spread throughout his body and his head felt dizzy. His stomach growled loudly and he clenched it, nearly falling over again.

"Your digestion system is returning to normal." explained Erzembar. "Since you have been discarnate for the past 8 cycles, your body will require nourishment."

But Iggy was already in the kitchen, located at the far end of the cabin. "Where...oh." Suddenly remembering, he opened a cupboard and grabbed a strange looking glass before walking to a strange looking device on the far wall. Placing the glass inside the nook, he attempted to recall how to operate Dantek's molecularizer.

"Water." said Iggy, but nothing happened. "Oh yeah, ancient."

"The language parameters of the ship have been updated." said Erzembar. Iggy looked at the cockpit before looking at the glass again. "Water." he said again, and this time water poured into the glass and stopped near the top. Immediately grabbing it, he gulped it down and placed the glass back inside the nook. "Water." he said yet again, and he repeated the procedure. Iggy looked back at the cockpit again.

"Does this work with food?" asked Iggy.

"Absolutely." responded Erzembar.

* * *

An hour later, and the table in the middle of the room was filled with dirty bowls, plates, glasses and silverware. Iggy had just ordered a large bowl of spaghetti and meatballs and was chomping down on it, paying no heed to his growing stomach. The color of his skin had begun to return for the most part with a faint yellow appearing in most places, and had tightened itself back onto the muscles. He knew it would take time before he would fully recover, but this was a great start to that effort. His face had also mostly returned to normal, becoming much more white and the green on his head was more vibrant.

During his feast, he realized that Erzembar had said nothing to him during the full hour. There was no way this could be the real Erzembar, the son of Koopa himself. "Hey Erzembar, are you there?" asked Iggy.

"I never departed." responded Erzembar, his voice seemingly coming from all directions. Iggy wondered about that too, but he had a more pressing question.

"Good, because I have several questions." said Iggy. "First, why didn't my body begin to decompose after death? The blood stopped flowing obviously, but it seems my organs are still intact. Wouldn't the digestive enzymes burst out of the intestinal track and eat away at the body?"

"The wand preserved your vessel and prevented it from breaking down." explained Erzembar. "In essence, your body was placed within a suspended animation of time. What you would call your epidermis lacked blood flow. It did not decompose, but it did lose its usual complexion."

Iggy sighed. "I am very lucky."

"Quite. In most instances, a corpse would be undergoing much internal decomposition by this point."

Iggy was quiet for a moment thinking to himself. "Okay, next thing. Are you _the_ Erzembar, and how do you make your voice do that?" asked Iggy.

"I am the authentic replication of Erzembar's consciousness." said Erzembar. "I was fitted into the Spirit Temple because I believed in the vision my father had of this race. I have never stopped serving, but my progress was halted when the Spirit Wand was brought back to Naru. That has returned, and as this age is facing total destruction in wake of the energies of chaos, this is fortunate. As for my voice, I am speaking to the wand directly. As it is now a part of your very being as it was once a part of mine, my voice seems to originate from all directions."

"So that is how you're speaking to me from 65 miles away." murmured Iggy.

"Yes. All is one." replied Erzembar.

"You said I needed to activate the temple." said Iggy as a matter of fact.

"Yes. You will become the next Spirit King, which is needed to fight the growing threat of the UmNaru."

"The sons of Naru." Iggy muttered to himself, putting down his fork. "They are still here."

"They have never left. In fact, they are now the de facto leaders of your race, and due to circumstances for which you were not present, they are about to take direct control."

Iggy got up and walked to the far window, looking out over the desert. Faint lights were seen on the horizon, otherwise the desert was only illuminated by the moon above him. He focused upon the minds of his siblings and immediately didn't like what he saw. He saw Lemmy first, bathed in white magic that surrounded Bowser's Castle from what seemed to be a swarm of the hosts of UmNaru. Morton was with him, trying to keep everything in order. When he thought about Larry however, he zoned in on Genlic and saw Larry trapped within a black magic entrapment. Iggy pulled out immediately, and silently muttered a spell to protect himself from becoming detected.

"That is not necessary." said Erzembar. "The wand protects you from the elements within the unconscious neural network that are plagued with the negative."

"So you spy on everything I'm doing." noted Iggy. "Will you spy on me if I go to the bathroom?"

"...no." Erzembar said after a moment. Iggy turned his attention back to the Koopa Kingdom. Roy was on the surface, seemingly directing the creatures himself. Wendy had apparently descended into the underground with her younger brother Junior. They were headed for the Divine Cathedral, and after seeing Junior holding the Earth Wand, Iggy pulled out of that quickly as well. He could not reveal his position to them yet. And as for Ludwig, it took a moment but he saw him, deep underground in what appeared to be the UmNaru homeland. He seemed to be going for some type of infiltration tactic.

"Well, this is crap." Iggy muttered. There was black magic everywhere, the Koopa Kingdom was invaded by underground minions, the King of the Blood was inside a black magic entrapment spell, and Junior was trying to become the next King of the Earth even though he was really a puppet for the UmNaru. Iggy knew that could not happen.

"So Larry is probably mind controlled by that magic nexus, giving orders that aren't his." remarked Iggy.

"Junior as well." said Erzembar.

"Which means that Wendy doesn't have any control over herself." Iggy thought aloud. "Roy doesn't either. Lemmy and Morton are probably fine since they're inside a white encasement shield. Wait, what is that thing...the Wand of Koopa?"

"Precisely. Lemmy Koopa discovered the artifact recently and is currently wielding it to protect Bowser's Castle."

Iggy remembered that Lemmy wanted to show him something after the Galactic Survival conference on board the Galaxy. It was a shame that he had forgot, but he did not have the time regardless. Still, it was a nice sight to behold.

"For the UmNaru, white magic is the bane of their existence." explained Erzembar. "If Lemmy is knowledgeable of the wands full potential, he could save many people in his current situation. However, this does not appear to be the case. He will require help, which you must provide."

Iggy thought to himself for a moment. "Wait, where's Bowser?"

"He has passed."

At that, Iggy was silent for a long time. He saw his father's now buried discarnate body and knew his spirit had passed. But Iggy had no words to say. He felt that Bowser's actions spoke for themselves, despite being a puppet of the UmNaru that he probably was. And after going through what he just went through...

"Alright, take me there." said Iggy.

"To the Spirit Temple, I presume?" asked Erzembar.

"Yes, that's what I meant." Iggy said annoyingly. He heard the ships engines power on and the ship lurched forward at a great speed. Passing over innumerable sand dunes, it only seemed like minutes before the ship came to a halt.

"We have arrived." announced Erzembar. Outside the window, Iggy saw bright flood lights no more than a few miles away, shining toward the direction in which he came: the east. He saw what appeared to be machinery clustered together in a big pile somewhat closer to him. Realizing what they were from he realized where he was.

"That is the Temple of Inauro in the distance." Iggy stated.

"You are correct." said Erzembar. "It lies to our north, no more than 2.3 miles from the Spirit Temple. It was built there during the 3rd age, when this region was more habitable. After that pole shift, this area moved into a more unfavorable environment. It seems a camp has been set up on the site."

"That's Penny Crygor's." said Iggy. "She's probably wondering where I am."

"Your mission is currently more paramount." said Erzembar. "You will have time to deal with other matters later."

Thinking, Iggy looked inside of his bag and pulled out a notepad. Flipping the pages, he came across a sketch of the Inauro complex he had drawn during his night out with Penny at the Yoshi themed restaurant. Long ago, he had performed an experiment with ground penetrating radar, attempting to uncover any structures that lay undiscovered. He received a bounce about 2 miles south of the Temple of Inauro, noting the signal strength on the pad. It was a site he was planning on digging up, and he remembered ordering the sand digging equipment to the area. However, the Galaxy fell apart shortly after that, and in his escape from the space station, crash landed and seemingly died before being brought back to life, where he was now.

"So then." Iggy began, "This site here is actually the Temple of the Spirit."

"Correct."

Iggy laughed. "It's funny how everything just comes together, huh? I was going to dig it up anyway."

"There is no need." Erzembar claimed. "The wand will guide you throughout your procession."

"Then let's land this thing first." The ship turned 180 degrees in the air before slowly descending to the sandy surface. Reaching it, the engines died and the exit door slid aside before a staircase folded itself out from underneath, reaching the ground. Iggy stepped out, walking down the steps to the surface. The sand was cold, most of the heat having dissipated earlier in the night.

Iggy looked northwards to the flood lights. There didn't seem to be much activity going on and he didn't hear any commotion, save the desert winds. Being in the middle of the night, most people were probably sleeping. Under normal circumstances, he would have headed towards the complex right away, but there were more than just a few people at stake now.

He saw something flicker in his mind. Casually turning to the northeast, Iggy saw the magic barrier surrounding the castle flux in intensity before it suddenly went out completely. The whole area was rattling and some buildings were collapsing. Iggy frowned. It was an earthquake. "Crap." He needed to hurry now or Junior and the UmNaru would have their way due to the inevitable chaos.

Taking the Spirit Wand, he cast its glow about the surface, looking for anything that might help him. A light appeared in the sand just steps in front of him, which imitated something like a glyph. Stepping up to it, he saw ahead of him a sand dune roll away to its sides, revealing a rectangular platform of sorts. Climbing up to it, he saw 3 small rectangular pillars standing in the center. Upon moving closer, he noted that they were each cut into 4 smaller pieces and had hieroglyphs written on each side of them. They reminded him of the writing he saw upon Naru.

Iggy tried to read them, and once again the Spirit Wand showed its magic. Already having the knowledge from ages prior, it gave Iggy exactly what he needed and with these new meanings, he knew he was working with a puzzle. With markers on the floor in front of each pillar, Iggy knew he needed to move the blocks into the correct order.

It took some time. The glyphs were vague, with some having a sun, others a gathering of people, and another had what seemed like blood. After some time, he got an idea and decided to be a little creative. "Family...Fortress...Ancestor...Blood." He turned the glyphs so they faced the marker, and the marker glowed from underneath, indicating that he was correct in his theory. "Kingdom...Law...Race...Earth." The second pillar lit up. The third one was tricky and it took Iggy more than a few tries. "Faith...Religion...um, Evolution...Spirit."

As the third pillar lit up, a small rumbling was felt. To Iggy's left, a large sand pit opened up while the embankments around it rose higher. Jumping off the platform, Iggy peered into the pit and saw a tall entranceway leading into nothingness. Sliding into the pit, he took note of the hieroglyphs lining the entrance before making his way into the unknown.

Inside, he came across a large chamber, almost utterly dark and filled with stuffy air. Iggy stood still for a moment when he remembered something from his past. He stepped backwards to the wall behind him and felt it with his hand. "Somewhere around here..." he muttered, before finding a fake concrete stone. Pushing it aside, an odd dial was revealed which Iggy turned counter clockwise with several clicks. A glow came from under the pillars and he saw a large room at least 80 feet high, lined with large statues that filled the hall. Walking past them, they were about 20 feet tall and resembled the statues he saw upon Naru. However, they gradually decreased in height, a theme that Iggy was now well aware of. From what the writing said underneath, they were the line of Spirit Kings in order of their rulership. There must have been at least 50 of them lining either side of the aisle.

The final statue to his left was smaller but still bigger than he was. Below this was a plate with the inscription: "51st King of the Spirit, Dantek Koopa." Looking at his former dad was a bit of an odd thing really and he couldn't help but smirk at the sight. Holding up his wand, the statue suddenly changed hue and was fully colored in a realistic depiction of the person. In the middle of the statue, a colorful picture appeared of Dantek's mug and his long white hair. Looking across the other statues, Iggy found they did the same, depicting the photos of previous kings. Thinking back on it, if he ended up excavating this place before finding the Wand of the Spirit, things wouldn't have been nearly this exciting.

Iggy laughed to himself. He had to admit it: this was exciting. Not only for being able to find such a place, but for finding the wand and what has happened to him up until this point. Being well versed in the sciences, he was not scared of things what would normally cower others. Even with his own apparent death, he could help but think how fascinating that experience that was, even more so for being able to come back!

But his smile faded. "But I'm the lucky one." he said to himself and he continued down the hallway. It was true, and most people could only dream about doing what he did. They did thousands of years ago by entombing their dead and promising them they would be resurrected. Eternal life was one of those things the fear of death pushed them towards, but Iggy now knew that death was a transformation. And his mind was in many ways already transformed.

The hallway closed in on either side, with each wall covered in hieroglyphs but Iggy had a mission now and he needed to keep moving. It wasn't before long that he reached the end of his path: a blank wall that stretched to the ceiling high above, and devoid of any writing whatsoever.

Iggy blinked. This couldn't be the end of it, and he knew it. Chuckling, he stepped up to it and wondered where the switch was, or where the secret exit lay or how he would pass through it. "Aha! It's not hidden to me!" He held up the wand and an intricate design was unveiled to him that lay across the entire wall. Using his intuition he reached up and placed his hand upon a circle high up above him, barely making it with his toes.

The next thing he knew, he was surrounded in light before it disappeared as quickly as it came. He reappeared inside a long hallway dimly lit by pale blue lights from above. The ceiling seemed to have some kind of triangular structure, but what was more remarkable was its metallic nature. The whole hallway seemed to be made of some kind of metal, uncorrupted over time.

"Welcome to the temple, Ignatius." Erzembar's voice thundered around him now. "I have initiated the first stage activation process. Minimal power has been established throughout all sectors. Prime grid reconnecting to neural interface."

"...what is this?" asked Iggy, unsure about the sudden change of environment. He began to walk forward nevertheless.

"You are now within the Temple of Erzembar, the true name of the Temple of the Spirit.. It serves many primary functions for the Spirit King, including initiation, connection to the races unconscious neural network, the gardens of Plebertine, a shelter for planetary inundations, and most importantly, a central vortex of the light for you to spread across the globe."

"White magic, you mean?"

"Correct. For our ancient enemy, the dark have returned in our time and are now desperate for control in the face of annihilation. Their masters have not returned for several ages, and their decree has changed to take their masters role. They will not be allowed to rule."

As he spoke, a conundrum of noise began to intensify around Iggy. Portions of the wall fell away revealing doorways into rooms long locked up. More lights began to glow above and upon the ground, illuminating the walls in white light. The hall seemed to terminate into a small circular room with what appeared to be a large silver column in the center.

"So, besides being able to read my mind, how do you know all of this?" Iggy asked.

"I can read the minds of anyone within the Koopa race." said Erzembar. "I am aware, and I am."

"But so am I." Iggy countered.

"Precisely. You are a good choice. Now then." The column suddenly rotated upwards and what appeared to be an elevator was revealed. Walking into it, the door closed and the elevator quickly moved downwards, with many floors flying upwards past him.

Iggy suddenly grew nervous. "Once I become the Spirit King, they'll be able to see me, won't they?"

"Correct. Once you become the Spirit King, you will have to combat the forces of darkness immediately, for they will stop at nothing to destroy you."

Iggy nodded. He had a plan, considering his siblings current positions. Still, he could not hide his tension and he sighed nervously. He was no longer ignorant of the UmNaru, having seen them and their masters in previous lives. While he knew what he had to do, being one of the few pillars against them forced him to step up to the plate.

The floors fell away in front of him, and before him was a vast open space. The other side could hardly be seen, but a peculiar spiral pattern seemed to line the wall of the cavern. Upon closer inspection, this spiral was seen as an open hall and endless rooms dotted its interior.

"This is the community shelter." explained Erzembar. "It has a great capacity, and each member supports the other with the light."

But Iggy was just staring at the site. "This is huge."

"The shelter has the capacity to house approximately 58,000 inhabitants."

"What, are you serious?! That means this place is at least 5 times as large as Genlic. That's crazy."

"Approximately 5.7 times the size of the Eternal Fortress Genlic, to be precise."

"I wish I knew this sooner." frowned Iggy. "I could have fit so many people in here."

Erzembar chuckled. "You do not know your own power yet, but you will." The elevator continued all the way down to the bottom of the enormous chamber, and Iggy swore it was at least a mile in length, probably more. He never saw anything like this during his survey of the site long ago, and he wondered how the place was able to absorb his radar.

The elevator stopped and the door opened. In front of him, Iggy saw a tall pinnacle in the center of the floor. A soft light shone at the top, and a spiral stair led up to it. Stepping out, Iggy approached the sight.

"The initiation will now begin." announced Erzembar. On instinct, Iggy manifested the Spirit Wand from his arm, and immediately lights appeared all along the ground level. The spiral stair lit up a pale yellow and Iggy followed this, thinking about his current situation. It seemed the UmNaru were trying put his siblings under their thumb, but until he gained his full potential, he would not know their full intent. As far as Iggy could see, only Ludwig stood against them at the moment and if things continued down their current path, they were all going to need his help.

"As you are aware, the King of the Spirit has not returned to us since the days of King Dantek." explained Erzembar as Iggy continued to ascend the stair. "Shortly after the Naru returned the wand back to its holding place, the spirit council imposed a ban between the Naru and their working slaves, the Koopa. Your retrieval of the wand is a very rare exception to this rule, but since your blood is descended from Koopa himself, the exception is logical. For the first time within 7200 years, the King of the Spirit will rule again and the balance of life can be restored."

Iggy said nothing at first, but a growing curiosity broke the silence as he walked up. "Why was there an exception made for me? Any number of my ancestors could have tried to do what I have done."

"An excellent question. The decision was determined by the spirit council themselves. It is only right to return the wand to its rightful owners during their last pole shift."

"...what are you getting at, Erzembar? We've survived the last ones, why not this one?"

"This world has supported more than just your race in the past. It has been decreed by the council that this planet will evolve into the next dimension of existence. You must help support this transition, Iggy Koopa."

Suddenly, everything in Iggy's mind clicked. The darkness that Dantek showed him at the end of time. The end of time. The end of their races existence! The rise of the UmNaru! It all made sense. The future was still uncertain, but it could be rewritten during every moment. Even though it appeared that the darkness was winning, there was one thing they did not consider. And if all went well, it would be their downfall.

Iggy reached the top of the pinnacle. A bright yellow crystal floated overhead, and at the sight Iggy felt an immense charge surge through his body. He was forced to halt, using the wand to keep himself upright. Struggling for a moment, he plopped one foot in front of the other and tried to keep his focus. But visions began to increase in his mind from unknown origins and he was having a hard time seeing what was in front of him.

"The etheric field is resynchronizing to the current time space, 36,580. Accounting for soul evolution. Genetic sequence updated to current parameters. Recalibration of the sequence has been scheduled. Calculating imbalance of the trinity...-206 earth tone, -157 blood tone, +12 spirit tone. Threat level high. Defense matrix start-up initiated. Main power on stand by. Beginning the initiation."

A large bolt of yellow lightning shot down from far above, zapping Iggy. Crying out in pain, he fell to the ground withering in agony, his body twisting and transforming as the ground rumbled beneath him. Turning his head, he saw straight through the complex to the outside above him. The stars grew dark and a vortex of wind circled around, kicking up masses of sand that further blocked his view. Another jolt however, and his vision faded to black.


	10. 26: Darkening

Luigi stopped. He heard something from behind the trees, footsteps that ceased just a moment ago. He didn't know why anybody would try to follow him through the Mushroom Forest, as the toad's were generally afraid of the place. Maybe some of Bowser's henchmen survived the meteors that fell? There would be more than one following him then. So who was it?

"So, there you are." came a voice. Appearing from a clump of bushes was a magikoopa with the typical blue hood, but he also wore thick spectacles and held a wand that had different gems infused into the rod itself.

"It was a mistake to let you live." he continued.

"Kamek!"

"I should have killed you when I had the chance." said Kamek. "But now, I will finally tie off a string let loose for far too long. It was you, that power behind Mario that was the real cause of our misery all these years. And while the world collapses, I am still bound by promises. I must avenge all that has been lost and complete the task that was begun in Morton's time. Prepare to meet your doom!"

Luigi looked at him with a tired expression and sighed. He knew that Kamek was talking about the incident with the stork long ago in his childhood. But his thought process was interrupted by a spell that suddenly pushed him backwards into a nearby tree. Groaning, he regained his senses and moved to the side before red flames engulfed the tree.

Standing up, he knew he had to return to the present and stop thinking about what happened earlier. He had to focus on what was in front of him. With that, he barely dodged another spell which, if its effects on the bushes behind him were of any indication, would have turned him into dust.

"You dance on the edge of death!" taunted Kamek. Luigi ducked and dodged and jumped over the many waves of magic that Kamek threw at him. He had no idea how to fight such a powerful wizard. In Luigi's mind, he was the same as Bowser: the closer he was, the more dangerous he became.

But his efforts to evade him proved in vain. Kamek unleashed a shock wave upon the ground that threw Luigi straight up into the air. Seeing his chance, Kamek then sent a "punch" of fire towards the hapless plumber, who then plummeted through several trees before disappearing into the forest.

Kamek smiled and ran to Luigi's location. His time had finally come. The infant that he should have killed years ago would be finally killed now, and a large chapter of the Koopa Kingdom's woes would come to a close.

Reaching Luigi's trajectory path, he found several trees with large holes in them and a small dirt crater next to another. Inside of it was a seemingly unconscious Luigi, unaware of the danger befalling him. After reminiscing for a moment, Kamek began to cast a death spell to put an end to the brother of Mario.

"_Luigi! Don't give up!"_

Luigi's eyes shot open to a view of Kamek gloating over him of his near victory. But Luigi's hand suddenly grabbed him by the neck and with a quick motion tossed him some 30 feet, canceling Kamek's incantation. Staring at the dirt for a moment, Luigi picked himself up and stared at the magikoopa in front of him. That's right, he stood in front of Daisy. He needed to be eliminated at all costs. He was a part of the old world, and that world was now falling away.

Luigi watched Kamek struggle to get up. But something hit him then. Yes, he was a threat to Daisy. Suddenly, Luigi bolted towards him and jumped in the air with the intent on stomping on him. But Kamek saw it coming and rolled to the side, and Luigi's feet met the dirt.

Kamek struggled to cast another spell, but Luigi was already on the move knowing full well that he had to close the distance between them. Running up to him, Luigi ducked and performed a leg swipe on his opponents ankles, knocking Kamek onto his back. Picking him up by the neck again, he slammed him into a large tree and prepared to fire a fireball at him, but without a fire flower, the process took longer than usual. Due to this, Kamek managed to blast Luigi backwards onto the ground and free himself from the clutches of his enemy. Kamek now knew he had to finish this quickly. Running to him, he quickly summoned a red spell and cast fiery red flame onto Luigi's body, relishing in Luigi's screams in that moment. Within a few seconds, most creatures would have been burnt to a crisp.

But Kamek's target was hardly done. Within the flames came two green orbs that seemed to stare at him with malice, like a retribution yet to be dealt. The area around Luigi erupted into green flames and quickly made their way towards Kamek, who was forced to block them by increasing the potency of his own spell. But as Luigi's power grew and the flames intensified in size, Kamek knew he was on a death spiral. He needed to find a way out of his predicament, but he did not have enough time to find one. The flames grew to an immense size that rivaled the tree tops and it was all Kamek could do to keep the flames from breaking towards his direction. Struggling, he looked around him for any place to escape the inevitable onslaught, but the flames were so large that getting out of the way in time looked unlikely.

"I...WILL...LIVE...ON!" roared Luigi, and he thrust a wall of fire towards Kamek who was helpless to stop it. Breaking through his magic, the fire soared into the forest unimpeded all the way to the Mushroom Hills miles away amidst the cries of a lone magikoopa trapped in the flame. Soon even this was silenced, and the flames died away leaving behind a soiled and sweating Luigi, his eyes returning to normal.

At first he could see nothing but smoke and the trail that his outburst of flame took through the forest like a straight line to the hills. Luigi got up and staggered a bit, still surprised about himself but more curious about his adversary. But he was not there, and Luigi had to walk some distance into the ashen path to find any sign of him. It was not long when he came across a skeleton of Koopa origin, clasping a wand with 3 gems upon it. Kamek was dead.

Remembering Ludwig's words, Luigi knew that this was probably an act by Kamek himself and not of the the whole Koopa Kingdom. Yet even then he couldn't help but feel reminiscent about those times, and the large numbers of koopa troopas he needed to kill to save the princess. The war was over, but Luigi still needed to cross into the Koopa Kingdom to reach Sarasaland on foot. With Earthquakes shattering the warp pipe routes, it was too dangerous to travel underground except for short intervals. Otherwise, he would travel there purely by warp pipe if given the chance.

Luigi looked back down at the corpse of Kamek. Thinking for a moment, he reached down and pried the wand from his bony grip. Although the rod was blackened by the fire, it held firm in his hand and did not crumble at the touch. Luigi put it on his belt, thinking it may become useful for later.

"I will...live on." Luigi repeated at the corpse, and with that turned away and walked back in the other direction. He reached a field that was close to where the battle first started. Stopping, he looked back at the path he had taken and thought about the days when he and Mario would save the princess from the evil King Bowser, all to repel his invasion of the Mushroom Kingdom. But Mario was dead, Peach was dead and Bowser was dead. The kingdom no longer needed to be saved from any threat from the outside, but like every other kingdom across the planet, it needed to save itself. Luigi knew that was not his job now.

"Leave the past behind you, Luigi." he said to himself. Sighing, he turned away and continued on his trek northwards towards Sarasaland, thinking about the closest place to find a river to wash in.

* * *

A number of torches blazed through the otherwise stuffy darkness, passing through another corridor of chipped rock. The mood was silent and solemn; most wore long black hoods covering their identity. In the front of this party were a pair of menacing figures: Bowser Koopa Jr, holding the Wand of the Earth and marching forward with a contemplative expression. Next to him, his older sister Wendy O. Koopa kept watch on his being, as if his existence was expected to be threatened. Behind them were a number of Magikoopa's and Dark Koopatrols, with black armor and glowing red eyes. Their presence stapled the importance of the ceremony. The identity of the other members were not known due to their black hoods covering their faces.

They descended into a large natural cavern, in which a river of lava flowed through its center. Old statues of long forgotten figures lined the sides of the path, with many broken and in decay. The remains of a stone bridge sat upon the shore of the riverbed, leading to a pathway no longer used. The entire underground was littered with such paths, and by tradition the anointed King of the Earth was to travel with a party consisting of some of the most powerful members of the kingdom to protect him in case of attack.

Even then, Bowser felt uneasy. He wasn't sure that using creatures from the pits of the underworld to maintain control was the greatest idea. There were better means to achieve this and many people were still loyal to him.

Suddenly, he saw the vision of Larry in his mind, smiling at him. _"You are about to become the next King of the Koopas. Why do you doubt yourself? I would be happy if I were you."_

"_These creatures are a little overkill, don't you think?" _thought Junior in response.

Next to him, Wendy looked at him and noticed the mental battle he was going through. "You look depressed, which doesn't make any sense at all. You are about to become the next King of the Koopas. It is a great honor."

"Any challengers to the throne do not stand a chance against me." said Junior. "I am after them, not everyday people. If those things up there kill my people and my forces, then what would I really rule?"

Wendy smiled. "You will rule the real Koopa Kingdom."

Junior didn't know what that meant and decided to say nothing. The party continued along an eastern embankment of an underground lava flow, descending into the depths. Before long they came across an entrance to a wide cavern, with stalactites jutting out from the ceiling and floor. As Junior put the whole picture together, he realized it resembled a toothy mouth.

They reached the mouth of the entrance when suddenly the Earth began to shake. It was clear what was occurring when rocks began to fall from the ceiling.

"Earthquake! Hurry!" shouted Junior and the whole party rushed forward through the entrance, trying to dodge falling debris as they ran past. But at that moment there was a large groan in the earth, and a tremendous weight of rock fell from above and crushed the entirety of the party. The Earth continued to rumble and nothing seemed to move for many moments until in the fallen debris came an explosion, and there was Junior with the Wand of the Earth, encased within a shield trying to protect his sister Wendy.

"So you actually know how to use that thing." Wendy said as a matter of fact.

"I know it well enough." replied Junior, "And I will know everything about this wand soon." But he noticed his ceremonial party had been buried under the rock near the entrance, which was now collapsed with no immediate way back. The earthquake must have been devastating for the surface, and for a moment Junior fiddled with his wand to see if he could reach anybody above him.

"General Flutter, do you read?" said Junior. All that came back was silence. He tried calling his other generals, but he received nothing. While radio frequencies would stop short under a few meters of rock, magic was able to traverse the material plane regardless of most obstacles. Nevertheless, he could not reach anyone and Junior began to worry about how bad it really was.

But Wendy pressed him on. "Look, I'm sure it was bad, but once you become the King you'll able to clean the mess up. The longer you wait, the more people will be in danger."

"They were in danger before I left." Junior argued, but at once Larry's apparition appeared in his mind again. _"You are also in danger, Bowser. The rock above you is unstable and aftershocks can break it at any moment. You must continue to the altar in the center of the cathedral."_

"And what about my army, huh?" thought Junior,

"_They are under our control."_ said a voice in his mind. _"There is no need to worry. All will come to fruition soon and order will emerge from this chaos. Now, please proceed to the altar as instructed earlier."_

Junior struggled to think, but their powers had too great a hold on him. His eyes flashed a dull purple for a moment, then at once Junior continued down the path into the Divine Cathedral with his sister Wendy following. Neither were aware that they were being watched by an unknown being, something not a part of the UmNaru's plan.

They continued down the tunnel, both noting that the air began to get warmer and warmer. The temperature seemed to increase quickly to levels similar to Bowser's personal sauna back in the castle. Noticing a reddish light ahead, they rounded a bend and saw a great magma chamber filled with endless podobos and lava geysers lining a narrow path ahead of them. Stretching itself across the lava, the path led to a singular spire of rock situated in the center of the great chamber where two sets of stone stairs spiraled downwards into unknown depths.

Like drones, Bowser and Wendy walked forward and stepped up to the narrow platform of rock and traversed it. A large number of podobos jumped out of the lava and soared over their heads to land on the other side, celebrating the imminent crowning of the king. However, it could not be said that the two Koopalings were able to think freely, let alone express what they wished. Such was the spell of the UmNaru. The duo walked up the stone steps to a small circular platform that encircled the spire, where each of them took one of the staircases and made their way downwards, each spiring around a center column that neither knew the purpose for.

They reached the bottom, which was covered in a darkness save for a single light source. Raised atop a large platform, it was what Junior knew to be the Altar, the place where the next King was to be judged by the spirits of his ancestors whether he was fit to rule. An orange cloud seemed to dominate the air immediately above it, and small lightnings were seen within. On both sides of the Altar were two wispy figures that seemed to traverse the line between reality and illusion. Their figures were hominid, otherwise it was hard to make out exactly what they were.

"King of the Earth, please." beckoned one of them with his hand. "Let us begin your initiation."

But Junior seemed to hesitate. He held his head as if unsure of what to do next. Powers fought inside of his mind, each trying to obtain control over his being.

"I...must...fix this mess." said Junior.

Wendy smirked in seeming humor. "If you can't do this yourself, then just give the wand to me!" she suggested.

"No!" said Junior. "Dad said-"

"He obviously wasn't in his right mind. I mean, you have zero experience as a ruler. How would you not make things worse?"

The wisps looked at each other. Junior said nothing, but mentally continued to struggle.

After some time, Wendy grew impatient. "Give me that!" she demanded.

"Do not challenge the next king," said one of the wisps, "Unless you are willing to risk your life for it."

Wendy snorted. "You two will be short work." She pulled out her wand and prepared to attack, but the wisps were much faster than she. They knocked her to the ground and the wand in her hand suddenly disappeared.

"Your childish rebellion ends here." said a wisp, but at that moment Junior pounced the duo, who were caught off guard. They struggled to get him off, but he was a bigger match due to the power of the Earth Wand. A reddish glow began to emanate from the wand in seeming response, but before Junior could release the wand's energy two white fireballs shot from another direction simultaneously hit the wisps. They seemed to convulse for a moment, and then they melted to the ground leaving nothing but smoky trails in their wake. Junior blinked: he certainly didn't produce anything like that from his wand, nor did he intend to. So then who did?

But as Junior thought about this, Wendy gathered herself and got back on her feet, managing to re-summon her wand back into her hand. Seeing Junior unaware of her recovery, she suddenly knocked him over the head with it, and he fell to the ground unconscious. At that Wendy made a face, and couldn't help but start laughing. That was way easier than she ever imagined.

"If daddy didn't pick me, then I'll take it myself!" remarked Wendy, looking at Junior's unconscious body. Kneeling down, she took the Earth Wand clasped in Junior's hand. Immediately a great power surged through her body and she tensed up for a moment before chuckling to herself again.

"I don't know what Junior was doing, but I'm going to fix it." she said to herself. The kingdom needed to remain as stable as possible through the pole shift. The war games needed to be put to a stop, and people needed to realize that she was the best candidate for the job. Her brother Ludwig was absent as was typical, probably too concerned about his science or his music or his this and that. Roy was a blockhead and the rest of her brothers seemed to care less. Well, that was reflected in the rest of population too, wasn't it? But soon, they would have a strong leader and Wendy was determined to set things right.

As she made her way to the Altar, she was unaware of a being that hid close by. He had no choice. Leaving his hiding spot, he followed Wendy, knowing what he must do.

* * *

Lemmy woke up in a daze, his vision struggling to focus. After a moment it became evident that he had been knocked out by the earthquake, and he struggled to get up. However, he saw that he was no longer inside of the throne room. Above him was the red cloudy sky of the Koopa Kingdom, dominated by doomships and strange flying creatures encircling him above. Surrounding him on the uppermost precipice of the castle were a large number of creatures yet to be named or yet discovered, making strange noises while others seemed to communicate to themselves in bizarre languages. It was obvious that the shield that he had erected with the Wand of Koopa had dissipated during the earthquake. The creatures blocked his only exit down to the lower levels, and escape via clown copter was impossible. He was literally surrounded.

"W-what?" Next to him, Morton struggled to his feet and tried to comprehend what was happening. "I guess your shield went down."

"Yeah...there was an Earthquake."

"Well, wasn't that a stroke of luck." remarked Morton sarcastically. "Now we're surrounded by these things and there's no chance of escape." He paused for a moment. "Well, I'll give you one thing. There's definitely someone or something who doesn't want you in dad's seat, and it's not just Junior."

Lemmy said nothing as the monsters seemed to part themselves to the sides, forming a way to pass through. But as they did, he could finally see the devastation that the earthquake wrought on the Koopa Kingdom proper. Many of the skyscrapers had fallen over, leaving behind a path of destruction in their wake. A few were still swaying in the air, trying to regain equilibrium. Even then, many smaller buildings of poorer construction had simply collapsed, especially amongst the poorer outskirts of the kingdom. Many people were seen looming about in the debris, trying to regain what they had lost. Roads were blocked with rubble and were impassible, and much of the power had gone out. An atmosphere of chaos mingled with sadness was in the air, and all Lemmy could do was watch the scene in horror. It was as if he was living inside of a disaster movie.

Morton's mouth was gaping open at the devastation. "There's...what did...what would Bowser do? You can't...run something like this. It's impossible."

Suddenly, purple lights shot from above and materialized into beings in front of the Koopalings, once again blocking their view. They were very tall and wore long hoods over their faces. They stared down at the Koopalings intently. The creatures surrounding them all seemed to bow before their presence while others, unable to due to their physique, seemed to crouch or lay low to the ground.

"Who are these guys?" asked Morton.

But the tall beings said nothing and stared down at the two.

"Wow, tough crowd." said Morton.

"Well, we did lose." stated Lemmy.

At that moment, there was a sickening laughter heard all around them. Another purple light shined down and materialized into what appeared to be Roy Koopa. But his body seemed horribly disfigured, with his left arm morphed into some kind of greater monstrosity. His face was irregular, with veins and muscle building up from his skull. Yet even with these changes, his shades seemed glued to his face.

"You guys dun get it, do ya?" Roy said. "It's over. We always win. You stand up to us, and your life is forfeit."

Morton just stared at him. "What the shit?"

"All puppets gotta dance for their masters." said Roy. Taking what appeared to be a wand of some kind, he pointed it at Morton and chanted something to himself. In a moment, Morton's eyes flashed purple and he gave a creepy grin.

"I was just joking with you bro." said Morton, suddenly walking over to where Roy stood. "You need to loosen up."

"Not until this is over with," said Roy. At this, he shot a similar attack towards Lemmy, but the Koopaling quickly pulled out the Wand of Koopa at lightning speed. Blocking the spell, he points the wand at Roy and emits a cone of light towards the two. With a cry, Morton immediately falls to the ground unconscious, but Roy screams in agony before falling to the ground, his shades flying off him. His face and body seemed to partially melt, with his skin bursting into a white foam. With a thrust, Roy is pushed backwards into the UmNaru, who suddenly shift into transparency. Roy flies right through them and off the castle precipice before falling through the air to the ground below. Regaining their forms, the UmNaru looked at Lemmy.

"You have the right to hear us." said one of the UmNaru. "The kingdom of Telxin must come to an end. The ignorance of your line has cost many lives, and delayed the reunification of our empire. It is needless to fight what is coming..."

One of the UmNaru stepped forward. He seemed to be blindfolded and was unable to see, but his hood covered the rest of his face. He held a strange wand unlike any other and he seemed to hold it backwards by the gem. Upon a closer look, Lemmy saw most of it was sharpened like a blade and he didn't want to imagine what it was capable of doing.

"The penalty for insubordination is death." he said, and prepared to strike. With a motion, he swung the weapon towards Lemmy's neck, but the blade never reached its target. It stopped just short of Lemmy's neck, seemingly vibrating in mid air.

"What?" said the UmNaru, clearly surprised. With a thrust of his hand, Lemmy sent the being flying backwards, landing at the feet of his brethren. But the other UmNaru seemed amused by the display, and some spoke to themselves in an unknown language as Lemmy looked on.

"As expected." said an UmNaru with humor in his voice. " You have earned the right to see your fathers kingdom crumble to dust before your death." At that, Lemmy saw below him strange shapes start to come out of the ground. They resembled spires of rock in the shape of spirals, but these were populated by the creatures of the underworld. Residents below tried to flee the scene, running towards the western parts of the kingdom while others became enslaved and were forced into what looked like camps. Lemmy knew he was trapped now, unable to do anything without great risk to himself. It seemed his siblings had been all but taken care of, with Larry being used as the UmNaru's proxy to drive their thoughts towards their ultimate goal. He thought about trying to free Larry from their spell, but was not sure what Larry would be able to do against them now.

The UmNaru seemed to celebrate their apparent victory and chatted amongst themselves while others kept a watch over the remaining Koopaling. In the back of the UmNaru party, Lemmy noticed one with a black robe lined with gold, looking at the sky as if distraught with something. The being looked behind him towards the ocean for some time.

"That's impossible." he heard him say.

"What is?" asked an UmNaru close by, but the first said nothing. After a long while, he turned around to the other UmNaru, who were now looking at the developments below and talking amongst themselves with excitement.

"Scan the world for the enemy immediately," said the head UmNaru, but the others suddenly laughed.

"Why?" said another. "It is clear the plan will now be completed. The empire is already being restored."

"Don't question me." said the head UmNaru. The others regained their composure, and started casting unknown spells in a variety of colors. A handful also used strange technological devices. One of these UmNaru looked shocked, and immediately broadcast what see saw using his device in mid air. It was a sphere of the world, but focused upon a region where a massive cyclone swirled over the land, with a small eye of bright light.

"The Koopahari is covered within a 2,526 mile wide cyclone." said the UmNaru. The others looked on in disbelief, but their leader simply nodded.

"Erzembar is activating." he said. "I knew it. There is never an end without a final fight."

"Erzembar?" Lemmy asked aloud, but the UmNaru paid no attention to him. All he could do was look at the massive cyclone and wonder what was happening.


	11. 27: Spirit King

Hurricane force winds tore through the desert, picking up the sand and any loose debris it could find. Many things outside of the Temple of Inauro were simply blown away, including large spotlights and even vehicles were tipped over or dragged across the sands. Everyone had made their way inside of the shelter upon the approach of the strange dark clouds, but Penny couldn't help herself but stand at the doorway to watch the phenomena unfold before her. To her south was a bright light that lit the sky on top of what appeared to be a pyramid. All around it, objects were slowly rising to the surface with moans and mechanical noises, all with strange shapes and different colors. To Penny, it was obvious that this was no ordinary storm. Something major was happening.

While she didn't notice her at first, Kylie was also watching from behind being unable to help herself, but it wasn't until a piece of debris nearly hit Penny that she thought otherwise.

"You know, I would love to watch this some more, but it's getting pretty dangerous out there." Kylie remarked.

"Why is this happening?" Penny shouted back.

"Beats me." Kylie said, shrugging. "Although...there was that whole Genlic thing."

"What Genlic thing?" shouted Penny, but at that moment a piece of flying debris struck her and she fell backwards through the doorway before being caught by Kylie.

"Hey!" Kylie shook her, but she was unconscious. Her head was already covered in blood and Kylie closed her eyes for a moment. "Not again." She turned around. "Hey guys! I have wounded!" It looked bad and she needed get her to medical care as soon as possible.

Outside, the wind speeds reached close to maximum hurricane force. Iggy's sand digging machines fell over one by one before being buried by the sand. The winds continued until the bright light flashed in intensity, and suddenly the clouds dissolved all around it, dissipating the storm inside out.

* * *

"...Initiation complete. Pylon operation at 100% capacity. Etheric matrix resynchronization at 78%. Toroid reactor at 59% capacity. Satellite reactivation 86% complete. Negative energy within radius minimal."

Iggy opened his eyes but he couldn't see the floor in front of him. Instead, he saw the myriad of experiences of his race in thought and emotion, colored with their perspectives.

"Where am I?" asked Iggy.

"You are looking at the internal thought constructs of your race." answered Erzembar. "It is a passive ability to your new position as King of the Spirit. You must readjust your mental perception back to the material plane. Due to the current circumstances, I will help you in this endeavor. Eventually you will learn to do this yourself."

Gradually, Iggy's vision shifted and saw that he was laying on the same metallic floor he had fallen into unconsciousness on. Instinctively, he reached for his head and felt the horns extending from his skull.

"So, I'm a King now." he said to himself.

"Correct." said Erzembar. Iggy picked himself off the ground and looked about him. He first noticed the walls of the chamber seemed transparent, and saw outside across the world with ease, and locations zoomed in or out on mental command. The ceiling could not be seen, being within the massive central hull of the structure. All he saw above him was a glowing white light shining like a star: the capstone of the pyramid. To his side was what appeared to be the housing for the computer system that held the consciousness of Erzembar, dozens of feet high and crowned in red lights. He still didn't know its full capabilities.

"But a king of what?" Iggy heard himself say. He thought about the Koopa Kingdom and the area zoomed in to focus. Upon seeing the devastation from the latest earthquake to strike the region, he sighed and hung his head. "I am a king of scared people. They don't even know themselves."

"It is in your power to change the current situation, if you so wish." said Erzembar.

"It's the UmNaru..." Iggy muttered. "They have some kind of plan. Order out of chaos? But that's subjective, and even they should know that."

"What is your vision?" asked Erzembar.

Iggy was silent, looking at the whole picture. Larry was their conduit controlling everybody it seemed. They couldn't risk a Blood King thinking for himself. After all, he had authority over the whole family, and the UmNaru were all descendants of Marthos. If Larry had known that earlier...no, he wouldn't have enough power to stop them. Some things were just meant to happen.

"Poor Lemmy." Iggy remarked. "Poor everybody. You can fix one thing and another fills its place. Probably what they intended...but, there's a way around everything, isn't there Erzembar?"

"There is indeed." responded Erzembar.

Smiling, Iggy made a motion of his hand and a platform rose from beneath the floor in front of him. It unfolded itself into a chair with various extensions and controls, and Iggy quickly sat on it before immediately fiddling with the controls with glee. With the press of another button, a gigantic holographic display surrounded him showing the entire thought network of the Koopa race in relation to its source signal, allowing him to see the being who first emitted it by simply looking in the geographic direction through the walls to the source. It allied itself with his vision of the world in front of him, synchronizing with events in that moment.

"I can intercept the thoughts of the UmNaru with this. No wonder why this place is so dangerous." remarked Iggy.

"With effort, this is possible despite their efforts to disguise their thought matrix." said Erzembar. "But I am capable of far more than simply reading their thoughts, and this is what they fear."

"Like what?"

"The Temple of Erzembar is able to balance the natural energies across the planet to their proper equilibrium. This may be due to natural events or for intentional purposes. When unactivated, energies controlled by the darkness tend to succeed, especially in absence of the other kings. They have a tendency to manipulate energy towards their advantage due to their knowledge of the concept of fear. With the Spirit King and Blood King absent for the past 600 years, the darkness has been able to control the Earth King completely, due to their material nature which is prone to insecurities without the help of others. The whole helps the parts, and an isolated part is more susceptible to manipulation. They have relied on the darkness separating each part of the whole to hide the truth, that all is one."

Iggy thought to himself for a moment, then spun his chair towards the Koopa Kingdom, while also looking at the state of the populace through the hologram. Most were in a state of panic or delusion, shifting through the sprawling urban mayhem caused by the earthquake and the ongoing battles with the UmNaru. Unable to believe what was occurring, they relied on their primal instincts to survive.

"Those aren't logical." Iggy commented. "But...the first thing to do is obvious." He turned his chair to the Eternal Fortress Genlic, and was able see his brother King Larry stuck inside of a structure resembling something like a black crystal.

"It's a black entrapment." said Iggy. "One of the best in that spectrum."

"King Larry has been incapacitated by the UmNaru for announcing the presence of the Destroyer to the populace." said Erzembar

Iggy had come across that broadcast in many people and was still surprised that Larry attempted it, despite the dangers. He had clearly underestimated their powers, and now Larry was being used as a proxy for their plans.

But Iggy grinned. "Not for long."

"Be advised that freeing Larry from his prison will force you into a battle with the UmNaru for supremacy. They cannot afford to have the populace rebel against them now."

"So I have to keep the Kingdom in check, while I fight their Empire simultaneously." said Iggy, and he groaned. It was annoying, but doable. "Well, first thing's first! I must announce my presence to the world. Hope is about to exercise its muscles. But let us begin with a sampler." Chuckling, he focused the vision of Erzembar towards Genlic to Larry inside of the entrapment. He saw several people next to Larry, including Mona, Bombette and a team of magicians seemingly trying to get him out.

"Sorry for the wait." said Iggy, and he recited a spell inside of his mind. Though he had grown up within a black magic environment, he was quickly adjusting to using white magic full time. Soon, his hand glowed a soft white. He thrust his hand out towards Larry, and immediately a section of Genlic started glowing a bright white. The black entrapment flashed white suddenly, and the eyes of Larry went wide. Iggy rotated his hand, and the black magic inside of the spell started to vaporize into steam that flowed upwards into a thick smoke. Everyone around it had ducked for cover or fell to the ground, confused as to what was happening.

Iggy made a toothy grin. This was already too easy. "And then..." He clenched his fist and suddenly the entrapment exploded into a million fragments that flew in all directions. Larry fell to the floor of Genlic unconscious. People rushed to aid him, but Iggy knew he was going to need more than the traditional medicine. "He's been inside there for a long time and much of his body has absorbed black magic. Most people would either convert to a mindless creature, or die if they refuse."

"His will power has ensured his survival." explained Erzembar. "While he was ignorant of the entire situation, he justly believed in what was right. He will require extensive healing in white magic. Otherwise, he remains incapacitated and you remain the sole Koopa King."

"Let's see what I can do about that..." Iggy's hand glowed again, and the black Wand of the Blood glowed white next to Larry's sleeping body. It lifted off of the ground seemingly on it's own, and in response, so did Larry.

"What the hell is happening?" Iggy heard Mona say.

"Mona," Iggy sent telepathically. "Larry needs to be healed, a lot. But I'm going to have my hands full in a second, so I charged his wand with my magic. It should slowly purge his body of all black magic as long as it remains by his side, or on his chest preferably. I'll get to him when I can, but for now that's the best I can do." Larry's body, along with his wand, floated all the way to his bedroom, where it lay down upon his bed in sleep, with the Blood Wand floating down onto his chest.

"When this is over..." Iggy frowned.

"Alert: negative value build up to 89% detected within the Koopa Kingdom proper." announced Erzembar. "The enemy is preparing for attack."

Iggy expected it, and began to charge the pylons outside to help feed the main crystal on top the complex. The crystal grew into a bright light, reaching the point where it seemed to be like a second sun.

"Crystal capacity for all pylons 100% capacity. Ready to attack."

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the Koopa Kingdom, the "Star of Erzembar" could clearly be seen, far away across the ocean.

"I guess that's Erzembar." murmured Lemmy, staring at the far away light. Around him, the UmNaru were furiously talking amongst themselves.

"Then how did he obtain the Spirit Wand?" asked one.

"He is of royal blood." said another. "Yet he was never captured by the Naru. We are dealing with a crafty character."

"We cannot take any chances." said the head priest. "While we are fortunate to re-materialize our empire, all of our work will be undone unless the Spirit King is stopped. To do this, Erzembar must first be destroyed."

Suddenly, they all stopped talking. Lemmy wondered what just happened, until he realized that the negative voice inside of his head had disappeared. Larry had stopped talking.

"He has made the first move." said one UmNaru.

"Then let us do what must be done!" said the Vice. "With Erzembar destroyed, there will be nothing that can stop us. This will be the last rise of the Spirit King!

At that, the UmNaru lined themselves up on the precipice in a row, with only a couple keeping their eye on Lemmy. Each pulled out a wand similar to wand's held by the vice, except they were all of a black metallic substance, and most held a purple gem on one end.

"Ri inctoris unum!" cried the head priest, an ancient battle chant. Each of the UmNaru began to cast spells. Lemmy looked below him and saw the rock spires being surrounded with a purple energy, culminating at the top into purple spheres. It seemed they planned to use what was left of the Koopa Kingdom to destroy what they termed Erzembar and the Spirit King. Wait, there was a 3rd King? Whoever it was, Lemmy wanted to help and he knew he needed to escape the castle. Remembering his trip through the Valley of the Koopa's, he knew there was only one solution. He saw Morton beginning to regain consciousness, and knew the plan would be tricky, but it was better than staying around to see the fireworks go off.

Gradually, each UmNaru built up their own spells between their hands, growing into large purple spheres of their own. Soon, the UmNaru was clothed in a line of purple light and everything became hard to see. Taking the chance, Lemmy slunk away from the giants, and using the Wand of Koopa, dragged Morton along the ground and pushed him off the edge. Before the UmNaru could take notice, Lemmy himself jumped straight off the side of the castle precipice.

Using the Wand of Koopa, he slowed the fall of Morton and made him land safely on top a pile of rubble. Seconds later, Lemmy landed on top of the pile before rolling down it. There, not too far from him were a group of Koopa's held captive, and after seeing him they began to cheer. The creatures in response headed toward Lemmy, but the Koopaling was much quicker. Jumping into the air, he landed on the back of one creature and shot a scorching fireball at the creatures head, which exploded in blood. The second creature was a flying type, but Lemmy jumped higher and landed on it's back. Breaking it, the creature fell to the ground and was met with the applause by the captured civilians.

"Hi guys, I managed to escape." he said. "But stuff is happening, so we need to run for cover."

"What's going on?" asked Morton, walking up next to him.

"UmNaru are attacking the Spirit King, and we need to head for cover." explained Lemmy. "This is way beyond us, man." He opened the enclosure, and immediately people were asking them questions on what was happening.

"There's a Spirit King now? So that's 3 of them. Is there a 4th or a 5th we're missing?"

"I don't know what's going on." said Lemmy. "I don't hear Larry's annoying voice anymore, but now there's this thing called Erzembar that just activated and it's some kind of threat to them, and this Spirit King has something to do with it too."

"What about the King of the Koopas?" asked Morton.

"Nothing." said Lemmy. "Junior would be here by now saying how awesome he is."

They looked up at the castle and saw a large purple light glowing on top of it.

"Well, we should get out of here." suggested Lemmy. He turned towards everyone else. "This is not our doing, but you probably figured that out. We need to find cover somewhere, because what's happening right now is way beyond us. But there is a good guy in this, I think. They say the Spirit King has returned."

But many people didn't believe that. "The Spirit King is a legend, and legends aren't facts but just stories!"

"That's what I heard." Lemmy claimed. "I was right there next to the real rulers of what's left of the Kingdom, but you don't have to believe me. All I know is that we need to find a hiding spot and rescue other people along the way. We need to get going."

With that the party set off at a rapid pace, most of them running through the transformed landscape, trying to find any more captured civilians to free. But on top of the castle, they finally noticed he was missing.

"He's gone!"

"Do not mind them! We must destroy the greater threat!" said the head priest. "On my command, attack!"

* * *

Inhaling, Wendy stepped onto the platform. This was her big moment: all she had to do now was gain the approval of the ancient Earth Kings and she was set to rule the kingdom.

Immediately, reality shifted before her. The darkness gave way to an orange, cloudy environment. Within the circle there was no one else, and it seemed that no one was there to address her.

At length, Wendy grew impatient. "Well? At least you guys could say hello or something."

Within the clouds came ghostly heads of past Earth Kings, forming a circle around her. To Wendy, she didn't know any of them but quickly figured they were the previous Koopa Kings.

"Who is this?" said Reiner, one of the past Earth Kings.

"The daughter of that idiot Bowser of course." said Wolfgang, a Koopa with a long white mane. "She has that same stupidity he once had. One performance on the stage is enough."

"I don't remember her. Who is she again?" said what appeared to be Bowser.

"Daddy!" Wendy cried out, but the spirits laughed all around her.

"Well, I think that rules it. If your own dad can't remember you, you'll never be chosen." said Alexander.

"What the hell is this? Who are you to decide what I am?" asked Wendy.

"We decide who you will become." said Valerian.

"It seems you care only for your wealth, and the markets that procure it, and the people that pay for it." said Beneth.

"Wealth begets wealth." said John.

"You are like a stubborn little child, always demanding what you want. The Earth King is something that is not demanded, it is earned." said Wolfgang.

"I agree. This is not a position that you have earned." said Morton.

By now, Wendy was fuming and was trying to come up with something that could convince them otherwise.

"I just knocked out Bowser Junior, who's like the worst person for this." claimed Wendy.

"He is a clone." stated Morton.

"So? He would have been more qualified than this prissy girl." said Wolfgang.

"You're too much like me, and the kingdom already has enough of that." said Bowser.

"But daddy...!"

"The UmNaru are in control now." said Valerian.

"Please, we don't have time for this." said Morton. "Is there a contender for your claim?"

"Indeed there is." came a voice, sounding robotic. Everyone looked and saw a being in a strange suit walk up to the platform.

"Who is this?" asked Morton.

"A son of Koopa." The being pulled out a silver wand that glowed a soft white. But at the sight of this, many of the other kings suddenly looked surprised and worried. None of them said anything.

"As you stated, Wendy is not qualified to become a Queen of the Earth." the being continued. "If she does not stand down, then I am forced to challenge her to a dual, as stated by the rules."

"That is impossible!" said Wolfgang, seemingly ignoring what the being just said. "No Koopa can hold the Wand of Marthos and live! He cannot manage that kind of power!"

"This is a strange technology, but it seems to allow you to use this wand." noted Valerian. "There is no reason to decline your wish."

"Indeed. I approve of this challenge." said Bowser. Most kings nodded their heads in agreement. Wendy was transported to the outside of the platform in a flash of light. In front of her was the being, and she studied it carefully. Considering the complex nature of the build, she took a good guess as to who it was.

"Now, I will obtain that wand you carry on Bowser's behalf." said the being.

"You're too late, Ludwig." said Wendy. "How do you think your little trinkets can hold up to this beauty? There is nothing that can stop me. You will lose, and bow before me as queen."

Ludwig snorted. "Hardly. I am exactly on time to face the demise of the UmNaru and their newly appointed puppet, being yourself of course. You may continue to dream what such a position may offer you, but none of your fantasies will come true, especially in light of the disorder already occurring."

Wendy looked surprised. "What are you talking about? Everything I want will come true, and the first will be your death!"

Ludwig sighed. "How unfortunate." The two Koopalings prepared themselves for the inevitable combat that would decide the ultimate fate of the Koopa Kingdom.


	12. 28: First Trinity

Far above the snowy Kong Mountains, a long purple light passed by travelling a million miles an hour. Whipping snow into the air, it passed over the western Kong ocean before reaching the shores of the Koopahari, but by then it was too late. It hit a large energy shield in its path and dissipated, but not before rocking the area with its blast.

"Negative spell converted into system." announced Erzembar. "They are testing the waters."

In the middle of the room sitting upon a chair was King Iggy Koopa, constantly shifting his eyes across the battlefield that was now a good chunk of the world. They were testing his meddle all right, and while it was clear they knew Erzembar, they still didn't know who was at the helm. But before he could do anything, another blast rocked the complex and the hologram flickered for a moment before returning to normal.

"They have intensified their original attack." said Erzembar.

"I know, they want this place destroyed." said Iggy. "But that's not going to happen. Too bad for them! Let's give them a simple one."

Erzembar charged up, the pylons glowing outside. The crystal at the top of Erzembar glowed brightly and with a flash, there was a large boom and a small beam of light shot towards the Koopa Kingdom.

Reaching its destination, it hit the UmNaru faster than they could counter it. Many of their robes burnt in seconds and their skin smoked and burned as they fell to the ground, crying in agony. Even the stone beneath them seemed to melt and contort under their feet. At the sight of all this, the head priest frowned.

"This is no novice." he said. "Surely it must be one of Bowser's gifted. Men! It is time for the Infinite Return!"

While under the constant assault from Erzembar, the UmNaru managed to create a shield about themselves and start to cast much more powerful spell. After some time, a deep blackness enveloped the air above their heads and when the time was right, they let loose a blackness that countered the light that followed the trajectory all the way back to the source.

"Infinite Return detected." said Erzembar. "The spell contains a Halving Circuit that gradually breaks down all matter into its infinitesimal parts of darkness. It is dangerous."

"White encasement, level radial." commanded Iggy. The complex became surrounded in a white cone of light, so that when the darkness spell arrived, it was forced to halt in place, too busy converting all of the white energy around it. Thus, the Infinite Return, rather than reaching its target had formed a ball inside of the white encasement spell Iggy had set up. Nevertheless, this still had side effects and that included rocking the earth considerably as all types of matter, mostly sand was sucked into the vortex.

With his hands, Iggy began to transform the ball of darkness into a new shape. He was going to use their own spell against them, with a little bit of physics thrown in as a personal touch. The dark ball morphed into the shape of a torus and a white energy gathered within its center. The torus seemed to convert the dark energy to light energy, as well as build up in intensity.

"Hm? He's moulding the Infinite Return into a cosmic loop?" the head priest murmured to himself. "That means..."

"You have encased the Infinite Return into a toroidal loop and are now converting to the positive." said Erzembar. "The UmNaru must maintain their spell or suffer a positive feedback wave upon themselves."

Iggy grinned. "As you can see, I'm not easily controlled!" While he still strained under their spell, he was still able to cast his next spell. Within orbit, ancient satellites triangulated their trajectory to Erzembar itself. Taking the energy in the center of the torus, the satellites looped the white energy between themselves before returning it to the source. This made the white magic grow in potency and increasingly shine brighter. In the meantime, the pylons charged up again with various colours, with white magic flowing from them to the capstone of Erzembar.

"You are the ones who are going to lose!" shouted Iggy. A wave of light shot out of Erzembar along the Infinite Return and flew towards Bowser's Castle. The UmNaru only had a moment before there was a flash of light and a wave of whiteness slammed into them, rocking all the land about them.

"All low to medium level black spectrum vibrations are being transmuted to the white spectrum." said Erzembar. "The high class UmNaru remain. Currently, they seem to be plotting your overthrow using the wand of Telxin to control your genetics, and hence your actions."

Indeed, the head priest had unveiled the Wand of Telxin, grasped in his hand and glowing a dull purple. From what Iggy knew of the wand, it could control all of the descendants of Telxin, or most of the known descendants of the Earth Kings, including Bowser's children. The UmNaru probably wanted to try to control Iggy's actions and try to break the stalemate he had forced upon them by interlocking the Infinite Return spell.

Despite struggling against the white "wind" that blew in towards the Koopa Kingdom, the head priest and a number of others managed to stand their ground and maintain their positions. Forming barriers around themselves, they managed to ward off the immediate effects of the white magic. The head priest himself lifted up the Wand of Telxin and with a chant, shot a beam towards Iggy.

"People like you cannot live." said the head priest.

Wincing, Iggy struggled against following the commands of the wand. "There is no way a single spectrum of magic can conquer the entire world!" Iggy managed to say.

"Your ignorance is striking for a Spirit King. Tell me, once you destroy us, what will you do with them?" asked the head priest.

Suddenly, Iggy's holographic radar started buzzing. Creatures were seen crawling out of the ground across the Koopa Kingdom. More UmNaru followed them, and they began to march out of the Koopa Kingdom via sea and air towards Erzembar, like flies to a light.

Iggy, already having his spell weakened by the head priest, could not stop the coming onslaught without interrupting his engagement spell and suffering the negative force feedback against him. He need help and he needed it fast. The UmNaru headed toward him began to cast spells against Iggy, and while none of them had any serious effect due to the overwhelming defence of Erzembar, he nevertheless was becoming worn down from their constant assaults. Even Erzembar was feeling the brunt as Iggy's holograms showed, trying to keep the white encasement spell cast in order to sustain the catch 22 situation Iggy put himself into while defending everywhere else.

"We will soon require assistance." said Erzembar, repeating Iggy's thoughts.

"I know, I'm working on it." said Iggy as he tried to think of a solution amidst holding off the enemy. He looked through his family's thought complex and saw Ludwig duelling Wendy for the Earth Wand. Thinking about the whole picture, he got an idea. He just hoped he would know how to communicate with him.

"Ludwig, use a cleansing spell." Iggy said telepathically.

There was no answer for several moments as their duel became heated. But after a magical explosion, there was a small lull.

"I've thought about it, but it may be too dangerous for her mental stability given her current situation." said Ludwig.

"It may be bad for her mind, but the spell will affect more than just her." replied Iggy. Ludwig, while not able to see the entire situation, knew enough about what was happening to expand upon the idea. Using the Wand of Marthos, he casted a white cleansing spell directed towards Wendy. However, as Wendy was under the control of the Wand of Telxin, this spell had the consequence of spreading towards every descendant of Telxin that still lived. This had major consequences, but the first was Wendy suddenly screaming aloud and clutching her head, and staggering about while trying to retain her sanity. But unknown to Ludwig was the sudden flash caused by the Wand of the Blood, which lay upon the chest of King Larry Koopa. And when his body became enveloped in that light, he suddenly regained consciousness before the light died as quickly as it came. His healing had accelerated, and though he was not quite fully healed, he had enough energy to return to the waking world. Upon seeing the struggles that were happening with his family, he struggled to get up and managed to get up onto his feet. Though he felt weak and wobbly, he managed to stumble across his room and headed towards his outer balcony to see the battle in action.

As for Iggy, the spell sent a surge throughout his body, revitalizing him enough to be able to help strengthen the white encasement spell against the other UmNaru. But he knew the current situation couldn't last forever and he needed to find a way to end it quickly.

It seemed the head priest had something similar in mind as well. "All patriarchs! Each cast the Infinite Return and direct it towards Telxin's Wand. We will break the stalemate!" The patriarchs, heads of the various branches under the line of Marthos all began to cast Infinite Return and when completed, sent beams of darkness to the head priest. He molded the spells into a black monstrosity and prepared to fire it towards Iggy, with absolute destruction in mind.

"Warning: negative singularity detected. Shield breach imminent." announced Erzembar. The source of the threat zoomed in on the holographic display to the Koopa Kingdom, where the head priest finalized his preparations to unleash the spell and finally break the stalemate.

But before he was given the chance to do so, another beam of white magic hit the head priest, and he growled in response to the increased load. The monstrous black spell seemed to hold in place, but now the UmNaru's attention turned to the new contender, who lay to their south-east across the sea. Larry had managed to drag himself out of bed and now hung over the edge of Genlic with his wand pointed directly at the UmNaru, clearly trying to do the best he could.

"As head of the family, I command you to step down and surrender all of your forces, Dac'Leon!" Larry commanded.

Dac'Leon said nothing, but many of his minions ceased their spells at the threat, with some being of the line of Marthos and fearful of retaliation. However, the demand did nothing for the ground forces which mostly comprised of creatures of the deep, and many of them still headed towards Erzembar. They seemed to be mostly unaffected by the magic currently being thrown around, save for the masters who controlled them.

Thinking about his next moves, Dac'Leon suddenly heard a cracking noise below him. He looked and furrowed his brows. "It's too soon for that!" The Wand of Telxin was slowly cracking under stress from the two wands that now pummelled it. The spell that he had moulded was beginning to destabilize, but getting out his own personal wand, he managed to maintain everything in place while he tried to find a solution to this mess.

Looking at the bigger picture, Iggy knew that he had to find a quick solution to this mess himself. He knew he had the top dogs in a tangle, but unless their numbers were held in check then he would be overrun, which looked increasingly likely.

An idea came to his mind from his days reading Kamek's old spell tomes, notably the supposed  
"forbidden" ones. The spell was legendary and was said to be extremely dangerous, and it seemed Erzembar read his mind.

"Most spells are transmuted through the casters body according to his ability to receive a particular vibration." said Erzembar. "But this one-"

"I know, but it's the only way to kill them all right now and balance all of the spectrum's." said Iggy.

"God's Wrath is deadly." continued Erzembar. "It is said that only 4 individuals throughout known history have successfully cast the spell and survived. Most casters perish as untrained vessels are unable to handle the potency of pure white magic. While the spell would exterminate every UmNaru across the globe, the risk is too high."

"You forget Erzembar. I died once already, and I don't think I'll die from this."

"Many have said that. While your family will be granted victory, it may come at a price." eluded Erzembar.

But Iggy scoffed. "I am not that price! If I cannot cast it and live, then no one in my family can. It must be done now." Iggy summoned an opening in the wall which led to the outside, and he jumped off of his chair to walk towards it. "I am not the price of victory! This is nature working in its never ending dualistic cycle, and the next is about to begin!"

"...so be it." said Erzembar, and Iggy manifested the Spirit Wand from his arm and his arms began to glow white in preparation of the God's Wrath spell.

Meanwhile, Junior had been awakened by the cleansing spell casted earlier by Ludwig. After waiting for the right moment, he got up and casted a spell towards Ludwig. The spell hit his suit, but it didn't seem to have any effect. Ludwig raised the Wand of Marthos and cast another cleansing spell, causing Junior to fall to the ground in pain once again. Wendy screamed in agony, dropping the Earth Wand on the ground to clutch her throbbing head. Thinking quickly, Ludwig ran and took the wand from the ground with his free hand, beating Junior's attempt to nab it by only a few moments. Ludwig used the Earth Wand to raise Junior off of the ground, then used the Wand of Marthos to shoot a white magic spell at him before tossing him to the other side of the cavern.

Ludwig looked at Wendy, who was now in tears and was having a hard time handling the duality of the magic that attempted to free her and control her at the same time. Junior, despite taking heavy beatings, was still struggling to get up.

"As long as your consciousness is open to them, they will retain control over you." explained Ludwig. "And such black magic is easily countered by the white. In short, this dual is over."

"I must avenge myself!" said Junior.

"As I stated, you will remain under their control without proper protection." said Ludwig. Suddenly, Junior got up and lunged for the wand again, but Ludwig blocked his movement further with the Earth Wand before slamming Junior's back into the ground. He did not appear to move afterwards.

Ludwig nodded to himself, impressed by his feats with using white magic. Having grown up within a black magic environment, he had a acute reaction when first touching the Wand of Marthos, even with his suit on. However, after some time he was starting to get used to the spectrum.

Leaving Wendy to her fate, Ludwig stepped onto the platform and walked into the pocket dimension. Inside, the previous Earth Kings stared down at him, many looking surprised and contemplative. There was silence for a long time, and Ludwig decided to take the initiative.

"As you can see, I am the champion." began Ludwig. "Do you require my visual identity at the risk of signature exposure to the UmNaru, and will your judgement be impartial?"

"Despite our upbringing by the UmNaru, we still retain our own part of consciousness." said Richard.

"The fact that my wand can be wielded by yourself, protection or no, is a sign of great changes for the Koopa Kingdom." said Marthos.

"But you must expose your identity." said Valerian

"This is required to complete the challenge." said Morton.

With no other choice, Ludwig unlocked and removed his helmet. Immediately, Bowser could be seen laughing to himself.

"I should have known!" he said. "I had chosen you to be the next king long before they got to me."

"That is due to their spell of forgetfulness." stated Valerian.

"Even so, I chose him for a reason and my reason is now justified." said Bowser. "I choose him to be the next King of the Earth."

Most of the heads surrounding Ludwig nodded in agreement, although a few had sceptical looks on their faces, especially those kings who were heavily corrupted by the UmNaru. Sensing this, Ludwig spoke.

"We are entering a new era, where the Spirit King and the Blood King have returned, and the UmNaru lose control after centuries of living under their rule. As a result, it is no longer the sole responsibility of the Earth King to lead the race of Koopa, but the responsibility of all 3 kings. This is how we will survive as a species in the future."

"These were indeed the days of old, when the Trinity was in full effect." said Beneth.

"The problem is not your ability." said Wolfgang. "But why your challenge ended up being so...lackluster. You did not finish off the other contenders."

"That law was created by the UmNaru." said Morton.

"It still applies." insisted Wolfgang. "If he cannot kill them, then he is not worthy to become the next king."

"All the rules of initiation were created by us, not the UmNaru." said Richard. "And as far as I am concerned, the rule no longer applies to the times."

The kings argued amongst themselves over rules they had set in the past while under the influence of the UmNaru, and it was clear that some of the kings never fully realized their actions. After some time, Ludwig's patience grew thin.

"I will not let the UmNaru claim victory due to some petty issues that were not intentionally created by yourselves. This is the chance to wrestle the mantle of the world from them, and I will go as far as attempting to initiate myself if no consensus is reached."

"I agree." said Morton. "This is the best time to claim victory over them. I support your initiation."

"As do I." said Richard.

The kings then voted amongst each other and it seemed to Ludwig that he heard more support than the opposite.

"The majority have it," said Wolfgang. "Though I do not like it, the votes are in favour of you becoming the King of the Earth."

"We will now begin the initiation." said Morton, and lightning shot out of the orange clouds surrounding Ludwig, hitting him from every direction. Because of his suit however, he did not feel a sudden shock like his siblings had, but nevertheless his body began to transform.

The horizon in front of Dac'Leon suddenly shined brightly, a light that seemed to encircle the whole of Erzembar.

"What?" he thought to himself for a moment. "Is that...no!" It was the legendary God's Wrath spell and he knew it. Even if it was a desperate measure and the Spirit King did not survive, it was still devastating and he had to find a way to stop it.

In the Koopahari, Erzembar was indeed clothed in a brilliant white light. Inside of the complex was Iggy Koopa, whose whole body was now completely covered in white light. He was mere steps away from achieving the final culmination of the spell.

"Spell 89% complete." said Erzembar.

Iggy laughed, delighted his self discipline was enough to make the spell work thus far. "It is time to re-balance the spectrum! UmNaru! You will pay for your crimes!"

"I am hardly finished yet." claimed Dac'Leon, and he summoned a spell using his own wand. A type of black shield, it seemed to protect him from the current stalemate with the Spirit King. Building the shield into a more powerful defense, he hoped he could use it to dodge the inevitable feedback he would have to face before handling the far worse spell behind it.

But before he could make his shield more potent, the ground had begun to rumble underneath him. Cracks appeared around Bowser's Castle until there was a large explosion of rock all around the castle. With rock hurled into the air, DacLeon thought he saw something flying in the air also, something with a long silver wand. But his magic signature came up immediately: It was Ludwig Von Koopa, now King of the Earth.

With his wands now tied up to different spells, it was all Dac'Leon could do before the beast landed with a slam next to him. Ludwig's suit was gone, torn apart by his sudden growth that now rivaled his fathers. With horns pointing out of his lengthy blue hair, his authority was undeniable. Dac'Leon hoped that with his current position, the new king might try to gloat and buy him some time.

But Ludwig had no such intention. Taking the Wand of the Earth, he held it firmly in front of him and stared down his enemy. "Since you insist upon being so eloquently delinquent to our majesties, I will relieve you myself. I do appreciate keeping your...wrists open to my presence." And he chuckled.

"Your kind will never be free!" said Dac'Leon and he attempted to move his own wand to try to bend his shield towards Ludwig's direction, but instead Ludwig darted to the side and swinging the Wand of the Earth, slammed the Wand of Telxin with it. With the combined force of the three wands against it, there was a stab of white light before the dark wand shattered into a million pieces. A moment passed, then there was a large explosion of purple flame which sent the two enemies flying in separate directions. Iggy's white encasement spell then immediately feed-backed upon the Infinite Return, shooting a white beam of light that caught Dac'Leon in mid air as he was flying. A loud scream was heard across the northwestern Koopa Kingdom until it died out amongst the crags.

Only a minute later, and a great wave of light travelled across the sea. It reached the Koopa Kingdom like the light from heaven and it incinerated the UmNaru, burning their skin rapidly until their skeletons crumbled to the ground. They disintegrated in the brightness like the wind over the sand and the people below them screamed and cried, terrified for their lives. The creatures that came from the deep roared at the pain and most tried to flee the oncoming wave of light, but they quickly disintegrated before it into skeletons, and even those turned to dust in mere moments. Some people, much like the UmNaru fell over with their skin burning and crying out for help. However, it seemed most people were unaffected by this plague and most stood still before the light, too scared to try and do anything else. They cowered before it, trying to look away and yet too much in awe to try and run from it.

The Wand of Koopa suddenly shined brilliantly, and a beam of light shot from its belly into the ground with Lemmy nearly falling over backwards before Morton managed to catch him. The light didn't nearly affect him as it seemed to affect Roy. Then again, he was never the sadistic type. Wait, was that the Spirit King's intention? Wipe out all the negative people?

A circle of light quickly grew on the ground below Lemmy's feet and expanded outwards, encompassing what could be seen of the city ahead of him and spreading to the mountains that surrounded the Koopa Kingdom. The spiral-like structures that the UmNaru had summoned were disintegrating from the base, with the spires soon crumbling into dust.

Purple lights randomly shot out of the ground, affecting the UmNaru far below ground. The Earth shook in response and Lemmy wondered how stable the ground below his feet was. But his thought did not last long: one of the purple lights hit Lemmy and Morton directly, and they were knocked into unconsciousness.


	13. 29: Recollection

The interior of Erzembar was filled with smoke. The spell having been exhausted, there was a strange calm about the place, except for the dull hum that resonated throughout the walls. The source of the smoke was King Iggy Koopa, who lay upon the floor in a literal pool of sweat. His skin emitted vast amounts of smoke and excreted sweat profusely, but did not appear to be burned or injured otherwise.

A twitch, and his arms moved, struggling to get up.

"Spell complete." announced Erzembar. "Your vessel requires hydration immediately."

There was a groan as Iggy finally managed to pick himself up onto all fours. With the rate his body was losing water, he needed to assist himself quickly or lose consciousness. But after going through what he did and still struggling to adapt himself to the powers inherited to him, his mind was not in the right place.

"Let me rest, will you?" Iggy asked weakly.

"No. Your vessel requires immediate nourishment, and the greater matrix lies in shock over their awakening. You must regain your strength and guide your people back to productivity."

Iggy spit his own sweat onto the ground and pushed himself onto his legs. That's right, he was still alive. He wasn't a walking corpse this time. His vision was blurry and he felt his glasses not on his face, but for the moment he did not care. He needed something to drink.

A glass of water manifested next to him inside of a molecularizer that had risen from the floor. Apparently, Erzembar was becoming impatient with the current situation. Iggy's darted to it and he smirked. "More." he commanded.

The glass then disappeared and was replaced with a full pitcher of ice water. "Better." He eagerly took it and gulped down the whole thing, ice cubes and all. He tossed the pitcher to the side; it was not enough. "More." Another one appeared and Iggy drank that as well, albeit slower this time. Tossing it next to the other, he suddenly craved for something he hadn't drank in some time. And from that thought came something else then: a pitcher of what appeared to be pineapple and coconut juice. Iggy looked at Erzembar, half impressed.

"It is filled with the nutrients you need currently." Erzembar remarked, but Iggy was already downing the whole thing and within seconds, it joined its brothers on the floor, empty and used.

Finally, his blurry vision got to him. "Where are they?" he asked, trying to scan the ground for them.

"They melted during the final phase of the God's Wrath spell." explained Erzembar.

"What?!"

"They may be re-materialized upon command. However, given the technology available, your eyes can be repaired to their original state immediately." suggested Erzembar.

"Y-you can do that?" asked Iggy, almost not believing it.

"Yes."

Iggy nodded. Something on the wall to his left unfolded, a strange cyan contraption that seemed to house many devices Iggy could not make out. One of these he saw fly into the air and zero in on his position. It had a round shape and glowed the same cyan color, and it flew to the level of Iggy's head. Suddenly, it emitted two red lasers directly into Iggy's eyes and he flinched in pain. Seconds later, the lasers ceased and the machine scanned Iggy's eyes and, seemingly satisfied, flew back to its station in the wall.

"Was the surgery adequate?" asked Erzembar.

Iggy stared at the ceiling he could not see, hidden somewhere surrounding that white star above him. His vision refocused and he saw the wall in front of him. Crisp and clear, he saw that some type of medical laboratory had unfolded from the wall, complete with a table and various monitors and strange instruments. His mouth hung open in amazement.

"Well?" pressed Erzembar, awaiting his response.

"Wow." was all Iggy could say. He had not seen without his glasses since he was an adolescent and that, combined with what he just went through, made him sit down on the floor in silence, leaning against the chair he had been sitting in earlier. Looking up, he saw the hologram surrounding him showing thousands of souls mentally still, all in shock from that great event, not able to speak or to move. It was a great unveiling that did more than Larry's words ever could, for while he talked about the truth, Iggy had showed it to them.

As he stared up at the ceiling, he heard voices calling out his name. Getting up, he sat back upon the chair and located their source.

"We have visitors." Iggy murmured to himself. Using the display, Iggy saw outside the front of the complex a group of people shouting his name. At the front of the group was someone he recognized.

"Hi Kylie." said Iggy using a type of comm system. "I probably freaked you guys out, huh?"

"I'm not the one to worry about." Kylie replied, and behind her came two people hoisting a third on their shoulders: an unconscious Penny Crygor, with her head covered in blood.

"She's dying Iggy, you need to help her." Kylie said, distraught.

"Penny?" Iggy looked inside of her mind and saw that her consciousness trapped. He sighed, filled with mixed feelings at that moment. His exhaustion seemed to dissipate more and more he saw things as they really were.

"Okay, I'll take a look at her." Iggy responded. Pulling out his wand, he pointed it in the direction of Penny and she flashed briefly before disappearing. She reappeared in front of Iggy, floating in mid air.

Using his mind, he activated a medical mechanism that unfolded from the spiral wall across from him, illuminated by pale blue lights. A table was unfolded and he guided Penny's body towards it, eventually laying it down. Medical instruments aligned themselves towards his direction, but Iggy knew that Penny's case was not a physical injury, but a mental one. She was trapped in her own mind and could not get out.

"Preliminary analysis suggest a concussion." said Erzembar. "It appears she now lies in a coma."

"Not good." Iggy muttered. "And this was built only for my race, I take it?"

"The medical apparatus was not built to the design of humans." explained Erzembar. "While I do contain knowledge of the human genome, I can only help to the best of my knowledge acquired from past millennia."

"That's fine. I already know a few things about them." said Iggy. He had done medical analysis on Peach several times in the past at the request of Bowser, and had studied some of the human genome for his fights against the Mario Brothers as well. Iggy made a motion with his hand, and a blue display appeared in midair displaying Penny's DNA as well as the details concerning her muscular systems, nervous systems and otherwise.

"It does resemble ours in a way," said Iggy, "But what can wake someone from a coma? A reset of their neural network?"

"The resynchronization chamber." said Erzembar. Next to the table, another part of the wall unfolded into a long tubular chamber aligned to the horizontal plane. Floating robots, similar to what Iggy saw beforehand moved from the wall and using anti gravitational devices, made Penny's body once again float in the air. This time, they seemed to undress her and Iggy looked away immediately. Eventually he caved in and took a peek. He saw that they had taken off her clothes and covered her nether regions with some type of white strapping. Her body then flipped 90 degrees to the horizontal and floated into the tube. With the tube closed, metallic rings rotated around her upon the inner circumference of the device, glowing a cyan blue. The rings increased their speed until they were rapidly rotating to the point that several cyan circles were seen. A display came up behind the device, first displaying in ancient before quickly translating itself to common. The DNA model updated itself, outlining certain damaged genes. After taking a look, Iggy pointed and made some changes to the genetic structure, fixing the issue. From what he saw on the display, it would take at least 7 hours before she would be potentially healed.

"We have a transmission from the Earth Sphere." said Erzembar.

After a moment, Iggy walked back to the chair and sat down upon it. It twirled itself upwards to a point, and upon stopping Iggy glanced at the thought matrix surrounding him like a million stars sending light back and forth between each other. The ones that were shocked was what concerned him, those at the front lines of God's Wrath. He would have to address the problem himself and try to reassure them, but that would have to wait. He summoned what he knew to be the Spirit Sphere, one of the 3 spheres each designed to communicate between each other. They were designed for the 3 Kings, and Iggy immediately knew who was calling him, let alone being able to see in his mind who it was.

The Spirit Sphere rose from a compartment in the ground in front of him, floating in mid air similar to what Penny had gone through before. The sphere was clear, and in a moment it glowed white before refocusing itself to a familiar face.

"Greetings." said King Ludwig. "I hope all is well on your side of this world. You seem to have lost your spectacles."

"Yeah, some kind of laser surgery." Iggy replied. "I'm still stunned. Penny is in a coma."

"I apologize for your setback and wish her a fast recovery." said Ludwig.

"Yeah." muttered Iggy. There was a silence for a while, as neither could find the words to sum up the whole experience they had each been through. Iggy knew that words were too limited of an expression for such a large event, having its roots back hundreds of years in the past only to culminate into a final showdown, with vengeance being the victor. In the aftermath of it, there was nothing to say, but there was everything to feel.

"I got to get these people back on their feet." said Iggy, breaking the silence.

"Which is one reason why I have contacted you." said Ludwig. "Your power here will be crucial in keeping together the common citizenry while deterring looting and mutiny. Another reason concerns a meeting I will be hosting during the evening here at what remains of Bowser's Castle. I have since renamed it to its former title, that being John's Castle of the medieval ages. It seems your spell had an effect on the brickwork, melting it and shaking loose its foundations to a catastrophic degree. All that remains is what was originally here before Bowser became the Earth King prior to my birth."

"Yes, I can see it from here." said Iggy. "A lot of things destroyed it. It was built using black magic, and Lemmy was also nearby to act as a conduit to channel the spell to the underworld. Frankly, Bowser's Castle was going to crumble one way or another."

"Despite the intent of the construction, I am still saddened to see our childhood home be destroyed as such." said Ludwig. "But in any event, a meeting will be held at John's Castle tonight after dusk, as with the power outage over the entire Kingdom, I inherently realize the absence of such necessities as keeping time on a device that requires electricity. Therefore I use the ancient method of timekeeping until a substitution can be implemented. The entire family, at least the number of us who have survived and returned to the castle will be attending."

"Wendy did not seem to make the fight after all." remarked Iggy.

"Unfortunately, but given her conscious it was somewhat inevitable." said Ludwig.

"I'm hearing voices." Ludwig's face on the Spirit Globe moved to the left to make way for King Larry's mug which materialized on the right.

"Please excuse us, but we were having a private conversation." said Ludwig.

"There is no such thing as privacy anymore." Larry pointed out.

"I have to agree." said Iggy.

"Then I assume you are well aware of the meeting I will be hosting tonight at John's Castle, yes?" inquired Ludwig.

"I overheard it. It's not like we wouldn't eventually go if we could." said Larry.

"The Koopa Kingdom is a mess." said Iggy. "I'm sure you have some kind of plan for it."

"I do have a plan," said Ludwig, "which is the prime topic of tonight's meeting. Said plan must come into affect as soon as tomorrow. We must keep ourselves ahead of any riots or revolts that may arise. Failure to do so, and what remains of the kingdom will collapse and the flames of fate will turn the people into a new direction."

"This might not have to do with Iggy, but I would keep an eye on all of your servants." Larry suggested. "I had a couple already try to back stab me before they were caught, since they were agents of the UmNaru that learned about their defeat."

"Some lesser workers of theirs might have survived God's Wrath." explained Iggy. "I will have to go over exactly what happened with that spell, as it has major consequences."

"Indeed." said Ludwig, agreeing. "I am impressed you managed to survive one of the most potent white magic spells in existence, given our exposure to black magic over the years. You will have to tell us your tale when we gather tonight."

"That and many more, though with things on my end that need my supervision, I will have to leave somewhat early." said Iggy.

"Very well." said Ludwig. "There is one other small matter, Iggy. If you don't mind, please bring my wife with you as I am sure she is anxiously awaiting me."

"Alright. What about the submarine?" asked Iggy.

"Ha! That's how you did it." exclaimed Larry.

Ludwig chucked. "Quite so. As useful as it was, now it will be more of a use to you Iggy then it is to me."

"I'll think about it." said Iggy. "Anyway, I'll be there tonight and we can sort out what to do next."

"Yeah, we need to figure out where to go from here," said Larry, "Especially what's going to happen to the kingdom during the shift. There's no way they can ride that out the way things are now."

"I assure you, a plan has been drawn up and the details are being filled in." said Ludwig. "I must now attend to some duties, and I hope to see you both tonight. Farewell."

"Very well. Take care." said Iggy.

The Spirit Globe flashed and the light dissipated and the globe returned to its clear state before making its way back down into the floor. Iggy got off of his chair and made his way to Penny, surrounded by spinning wheels of blue. As expected, it was going to take her all night to heal. Iggy looked at her for a while, knowing that without her he would have to manage her colony within the Temple of Inauro. This forced him to shoulder more responsibilities, hopefully only temporarily. If worst came to worst, he could move them into Erzembar, but he hoped it would never come to that. Penny was a good friend and he didn't want to lose her, especially in a world where friendship was starting to mean everything.

After looking at her for a while, Iggy decided to explore the rest of Erzembar to pass the time before departing to the Koopa Kingdom. Walking out of the room, he decided to check out the next most important thing: his bedroom.

* * *

The moon softly billowed its light across the city, now dark and motionless save for the multitudes of candles that flickered in the endless windows that remained intact. Even with the limited light, Ludwig could see the devastation in the shadows as he peered across a precipice that was once a hallway to the lesser mess hall. He remarked to himself how everything seemed to resemble the middle ages now, how everything was quickly thrown backward with the absence of electricity. It was the price of dependence, the inability to sustain ones self independently. It was a skill to be discussed once all were in attendance.

There was a small flash of light and in front of Ludwig appeared his younger brother, now King Iggy Koopa and alongside him was Kylie, whom with a stare of awe, took in her husbands new appearance.

"Welcome back, Queen Kylie Koopa." Ludwig said with a smile.

"You're so huge." she remarked, unable to get her eyes off the horns. "How can I sleep with you now? You will take up the whole bed!"

"Nonsense. You have clearly never seen my father's bedroom. It is nothing to worry about." said Ludwig.

"Plus, there's a little something you have to do." hinted Iggy.

"Geez, you are totally cat and mouse." muttered Kylie.

"I can't spoil the fun. I'll let Erzembar explain it for everyone, as it doesn't just apply to only you two."

"Very well." said Ludwig. "I understand your time is short, so let us adjourn inside and talk amongst the dining." Leading the way, Ludwig walked down the hall with an almost miniature Kylie who seemed stunned at the new development. Iggy walked behind them, simply watching the two in front of him. They crossed a hallway before passing under a large archway that led to a rustic dining hall. It was clearly in medieval style and Iggy wondered why he had not seen this part of the castle before. With red and golden carpets, and old stone tables and cups and archetypal silverware, it was certainly a blast from the past. Around the circular table were a few of the Koopalings, with King Larry waving to the trio before resuming his conversation with Morton. Ludwig and Kylie sat on one end of the table and conversed amongst themselves. Lemmy sat by himself near the head of the table, with his hands behind his head, apparently contemplating something. He did not respond to their entrance, and it wasn't until Iggy sat down did he take notice.

"So why is everybody getting horns?" asked Lemmy.

"Because there are 3 kings." said Iggy.

"Well, that's not fair." Lemmy complained. "Let me guess, Spirit King?"

"Exactly. Here's a suggestion." said Iggy. "Don't let it get to you. Keep yourself busy."

Lemmy sighed and seemed fidgety. To Iggy, he looked like he wanted to do something, but did not know what.

"Be patient." Iggy advised. "You will have a part to play soon enough."

Koopa's were seen walking into the room, but they were not the usual waiters. To Iggy and Larry, they seemed to be volunteers from the city. Judging by the looks on their faces, they didn't seem at all angry about their jobs, although expected signs of distress were apparent. Eventually, Ludwig noticed Iggy's gaze.

"They are volunteers to serve in the kitchen for the short term." Ludwig explained. "As you imagine, most staff had fled the area long before our fight with the UmNaru. In exchange for their services, I give them food and a place to rest."

"There's one way to keep your image." said Iggy.

"You do what you have to do." commented Larry. "Right now, you're lucky people are behaving the way they are."

"Indeed, and I am well aware how short such a peace will be." said Ludwig. "The power plants have not come on-line due to roadways blocked by debris and hubris, the laymen failing to report to their positions and the necessary parts required to repair broken infrastructure unreachable due to said roadways becoming ruptured. Therefore, I have shut off the nuclear power plants permanently."

Iggy nodded. He figured that was what Ludwig was going for.

"The big problem, I think is that most people have no idea how to survive without the system in place." explained Larry. "They were never taught to, they have no motivation to because life is taught to be all about being comforted by big daddy corporate."

"Oh, and don't forget the religion that duped them all into it. Their spells were memorizing." said Iggy.

"You mean music and entertainment?" asked Lemmy, frowning. "Yeah, I know all about it. All those stars were controlled by the UmNaru, and pretty much sold their souls to demons. It kept them alive and kept everything going."

"Exactly. But when you take that away from them, what do they do?" asked Iggy. "They're thinking it will all come back, that the king will fix everything and feed them all again with a silver spoon. When you grow up like that, you don't expect anything else unless you look at yourself the hard way. Most people don't know how to do that. And now that the UmNaru are gone, their control over almost every aspect of life is suddenly gone. It's like lifting a veil from your eyes that you never saw, until it was lifted. Do you get it?"

"Yeah, I got it." said Lemmy. "My question is, what will people do without entertainment? They have to do something else, whatever it is."

"Most demonic spells have been broken by the God's Wrath spell." explained Iggy. "Nearly all those demonic souls are gone now and is one reason why so many people are stunned. Whether they return to normal depends on their mentality. From what I can see, most will not be able to accept what they see as their new reality, and will wish to return to their old ways of life. This denial will develop into insanity."

"Not surprised." Larry commented. "Especially if we don't do anything about it and just let things go down the road its on now. What would happen if the magic that was used on them was exposed during your announcement?"

"I do not believe that to be wise." said Ludwig. "It is a lesson learned from my father's administration: Do not expose what they do not suspect. As they were unaware of their initiation into the darker powers, so they will be unaware during their withdrawal. This is the policy I recommend, as this is along the lines of Ignatius's expertise."

Iggy nodded. "I will do what I can. But for now, I think we need to remember that the forces that used to run this world have lost their power, and we need to step up to the plate and show everyone what life can really be like. We are the role models now."

There was some silence as people absorbed the meaning behind Iggy's words.

"How do you plan on making your announcement anyway?" Larry asked.

"There are back up generators available to supply the fundamental components required for such an event." said Ludwig.

"I have a better idea." said Iggy. "Let's use Erzembar to announce Ludwig and myself. That way we can both say what we need to say to everyone, instead of localizing it. I have working satellites in orbit that should do the job."

"A splendid idea, Ignatius." said Ludwig. "I will accept your generous offer."

"So you can't get the power back on because the roads are ripped up." said Morton. "But where are the guys responsible for that stuff? Shouldn't they be, you know, repairing it?"

"Like I have stated, the layman has simply refused to report to work." said Ludwig. "A great portion of my day was dedicated to this issue throughout the remains of government and within the social services. The ministry of transportation was all but a belligerency, its master having committed suicide and their staff turning towards my person for answers. The department of the interior had mostly fled well before the UmNaru appeared at what was formally Bowser's Castle, and at the moment the department is nearly vacant. The armed forces have shown signs of mutiny, but for the moment I have sent the soldiers home to be with their loved ones. Those are but a few of the many issues I have dealt with today. However, considering my plan and the long term consequences of the pole shift and the inevitable destruction it will cause, this time period could be seen as a blessing in disguise."

"How is that a blessing?" argued Morton. "There's no way to track these people now, no way to know what they're doing."

"The main concern now is survival, which is the basis of this plan." said Ludwig. "Given the current state of the kingdom and considering the fate of the land mass underneath us, our best chance of survival will be migration. The kingdom as it now stands is practically unlivable, completely unlivable after the pole shift."

"Where are you thinking?" asked Larry.

"They wont take the North Pole idea too well." commented Iggy. "No offence to you, Lemmy."

"How do you know?" Lemmy asked.

"Trust me, I know." said Iggy. "I can see the thoughts of everyone, if you didn't know yet. That's not to say you won't get anyone else."

"The solution is not practical, despite Lemmy's position in the aftertime." said Ludwig. "The people will want a comfortable location, so balancing their needs with what is required in order to survive is essential. Therefore, only certain routes and shelters have been selected." He took out a rolled parchment and lay it across the center of the table. On it was a pencilled drawing of the Koopa Kingdom upon quad rule paper, including the sea and the mountains that surrounded it as well as major cities and landmarks. Various lines were seen drawn in many directions and with different notations. The Koopalings leaned in to look at it, and Larry got up from his seat.

"Okay, Erzembar wants a few words about this plan." said Iggy.

"Very well." With his hand, Ludwig made something in the corner levitate into the air, then moved it towards the side of the table before placing it down next to him. It was the Earth Globe, placed upon the black pedestal that Lemmy had used before. The globe glowed white and an image of a metallic structure came into view shadowed by red lights.

"I have contact, your majesty." said Erzembar. "Please proceed with your plan, King Ludwig."

"Greetings, Erzembar." said Ludwig. "Here is the general overview of the plan. For those of you unaware of my activities, I have been constructing my own shelter for many years, approaching a decade now. It is located within the western Koopa Crags, and will be in a prime location after the shift. This site will be the first target for relocation and I have already ironed out most of the details, barring unknown variables regarding the Koopahari Pass.

"The next are of concern is Genlic. I am unaware of your current capacity, Larry."

"It's close to full right now." responded Larry. "I was planning on saving what room I have left to those who really need it. Not much more than 1,000 spots or so left."

"I was afraid of that." said Ludwig. "In that case, I must move on to the next person of interest, being Ignatius. I must inquire of your new facility and whether it houses the accommodations necessary to be considered a survival shelter."

"Actually, it does." said Iggy. "About 58,000 inhabitants or so."

"Excellent, then we shall clear the Koopahari Pass from recent debris and relocate the first half of the populace between our locations."

"I must advise you, King Ludwig." said Erzembar. "Underground shelters are not known to survive pole shifts, most often due to problems unseen beforehand."

Ludwig frowned. "Such as?"

"Rock under stress create emissions currently unknown to the Koopa race." stated Erzembar. "There are particles undiscovered that influence your reality, and these can become an issue when the tectonics are under stress. Gases may also leak from closed crevasses, such as argon and other deadly elements. Earthquakes trap those underground by blocking artificial tunnels leaving no pathway to escape. Established hierarchy and hired arms disassemble and fight amongst themselves for the resources that still remain. Despite my warnings, I have seen many kings in past ages attempt to shelter within the Earth, only to find them becoming mass graves."

Ludwig inhaled. "This is no ordinary shelter. While it may be contained underground for the time being, Ludwig's Castle itself is not carved into any rock face, but is its own separate structure. Capable of holding tens of thousands of people with comfortable arrangements, it was built to withstand what the pole shift may bring upon it. It was not meant to spend exuberant amounts of time underground."

"Oh?"

"After the shift occurs, I will open the tops of the crags themselves as they are now completely in my control. Considering the mountain construction scheduled to occur as our land mass collides with the Sarasaland plate, the western crags will see minimal activity in this regard."

"Is that even possible?" asked Morton in disbelief. "Opening up the top of a mountain like that, you need so much power behind it and look, we don't have any! Otherwise you need explosives. Did you set charges or something?"

"Indeed, there are many other methods in which the castle may free itself." said Ludwig. "Once this occurs, the castle will be able to life itself into the air and travel towards a destination that is sustainable for growth."

"Well, you weren't kidding about it flying." remarked Lemmy. "But Iggy's friend here has a point. People may try to take your spot as leader even before the shift is over. I would think of something clever to maintain order."

"Lemmy is correct." said Erzembar. "Especially with shelters with goods that will be considered extravagant. This will attract those who wish to maintain their former lifestyles and will stop at nothing to ensure that this continues, often at the price of others. Consider this a warning."

Ludwig was silent as he thought to himself for a while. "Noted." he said finally, but he said nothing else.

"If I were to migrate from the kingdom, I would do it on foot." said Lemmy. "And I would need to know how to survive out there in the wild first. Most people should be given a basic course on how to do that. I don't like the idea of holding the hole, I want to stay on the move."

"Speaking of that, do any of us know how to survive on our own?" asked Larry.

"Considering how pampered we are..." muttered Iggy. "...3 of us are kings now, and we're still pampered. It doesn't cross the mind because you don't want to think about the alternative. You think about something, you attract it to you."

"That leaves the rest of us in the dark." said Morton. "At least put a survival training program or something in your announcement. If Lemmy is going open field, he's going to need to know this stuff, at least that's what I think he's doing."

"That's what I would do." said Lemmy.

"No problem." came a deep voice, and everyone turned their heads to the entranceway. There they saw Roy Koopa slowly walking forward and many looked shocked at the damage done to him. The right side of his face seemed to had bubbled up and distorted itself from Lemmy's blast, and his glasses were gone. In their place were two dark squinting eyes that stared at the group in front of him unblinking.

"Thought so." he muttered, looking at Ludwig.

"Indeed." said Ludwig

"Where's Wendy?" he asked.

"Dungeon level 5 asylum." said Ludwig. "She was unable to mentally handle the white magic, and is now...unstable."

"Junior." grunted Roy.

"Killed." Ludwig put bluntly. "Mostly disintegrated by the legendary God's Wrath spell, though his bones remained. He was given the proper defeated combatant funeral."

"People that were heavily saturated by black magic simply disintegrated." added Iggy.

Roy huffed. After a moment, he turned and stared at Lemmy who simply returned his glance. Nothing happened for some time and many were afraid to tip the delicate balance in that moment. Lemmy refused to look away, not after long years of torture under Roy and was not afraid to defend himself again if the need arose.

"Roy, sit down." Larry ordered. Another moment, and Roy finally broke the glaring contest to look at his younger brother.

"Very well." he said sarcastically before find an empty seat at the table and sitting down. Lemmy sighed and relaxed.

"You possess skills necessary for self sufficient survival?" asked Ludwig.

Roy nodded. "I have debts to pay. Many of them. Payed some...lots left. I will pay it all. Don't care how long it takes, what I have to do. That light showed me somethin..." He looked a Lemmy again for a moment, but moved back to Ludwig. "I have to fix dis. All of it. I will start here."

"Explaining what is required to survive in the wild to ourselves would be a great beginning towards that endeavor." suggested Ludwig.

Roy hummed. "Very well. I will tell you all how to live. No comforts, no treats." But he looked out the window and stared at the night sky for a moment. "Tomorrow. It's been a long day."

"Yes, we must continue." said Ludwig. "As stated, much of the populace is scheduled for relocation towards the Koopahari pass, where much will be designated to either Ludwig Castle or Erzembar. Is this fine with you, Ignatius?"

"I would be a monster if I refused." said Iggy. "Or called insincere if I agree, after what I did. Once I make my unveiling tomorrow, I think that will be my problem."

"Those who follow you will know better." said Lemmy. "I see your point though."

"Unfortunately, that seems to be the case." said Ludwig. "At times, we flow in the winds of fate, unable to hinder or impede its movement. Then our inner faith becomes our impetus and I am confident you are well aware of this."

"That's all I can rely on at the moment..." murmured Iggy. "But what about the rest of the population? Between us, not everyone will be able to squeeze inside what we can offer."

"Which leads to the next phase of my plan." explained Ludwig. "Those who choose not to take shelter within our encampments have another possibility before them: migration into the lands that will inevitably become hospitable for practical living." Taking something next to his chair, he rolled out a map under his penciled drawing that clearly showed the Koopa Kingdom after the pole shift.

"I didn't know dis." muttered Roy.

"Most continents around the world shall be displaced and turned within a counter-clockwise rotation of slightly less than 90 degrees." explained Ludwig. "As the greater parts of the Koopa Kingdom lie surrounded by crags to our north, east and west, as well as the southern Koopa Sea to our south, staying in place will obviously have devastating effects. Most of the kingdom will halt within the Arctic circle, with the former west becoming the new south. The new north pole will be somewhere to our present day Northwest, just over the crags. Frankly, the soil and rock which we now stand upon will be inhospitable after the shift, and in many areas there is a great chance of flash freezing."

"And that is?" asked Morton.

"Basically," Iggy started, stretching his arms, "The continent moves so quickly under a cold air mass that, combined with the hurricane force winds and the resulting wind chill, everything is frozen on the spot. This includes people, too."

"So we cannot stay here." said Morton.

"Essentially." affirmed Ludwig. "The entire kingdom must be vacated. It is within our histories that our people have lived within different lands, as the Koopahari has shown. There is another land, the northern reaches of the Koopai that show many signs of past habitation. It will be a prime site once the shift ends and will become an excellent location for farming. I would like to ask you, Morton Koopa Junior to lead the migration into this area."

"Woah woah, wait a second. Me?" Morton said, startled.

"Yes. The northern shores of this land will become the west, resulting in great precipitation due to the changed air flows. The climate, while a cold temperate at the moment, will become a more mild temperate and shall be an excellent location for the future Koopa Kingdom. As the land also lies directly between the Koopahari desert as well as my own encampment within the crags, our peoples can easily locate towards your position when the time comes. Therefore, your participation in this effort is vital, especially considering your standing with the common denizen. I do hope you accept my proposal."

"I'd be heckled down my throat by all the former lobbyists and middle men who want a piece of the pie, you know." said Morton. "They can't rely on themselves unless you count taking a shit on everyone they steal from as counting on yourself."

"That will not be a concern," said Ludwig, "As the government type is known to withdraw themselves into fortresses such as mine. Also considering the current state of affairs, I highly doubt the current government will be functioning for much longer. As long as you enforce your own policies, you shall do well."

"Yeah, I know that." said Morton. "I guess it's just getting into that mind set of knowing you don't have a place to live. I don't like doing it and I'm sure there's people down there who'd rebel against leaving as well. But it's something you have to do." He nodded to himself. "Alright."

"A person for this position must be simultaneously strong and unyielding, yet open to the demands of others." stated Ludwig. "For example, Lemmy possesses this diplomacy with great skill, but is too easily pushed by the more selfish. Roy is quite the opposite: a strong character not afraid to achieve, yet unyielding to most demands and can be rather non-negotiable. I do not mean to be offensive of course."

"I've changed a little." commented Roy.

"I do hope that is the case. However, my point is this: Morton possesses a good balance of these characteristics and I believe he is the top candidate for the position of leading the greater bulk of the populace into the new Koopai lands as immigrants. As leader of this group, you shall be responsible for coordinating with the owners of conclaves and hideouts such as my own for the distribution of citizens, as well as dealing with local villages and townsfolk upon arrival."

"Yup, more politics." Morton said. "Trust me buddy, I know politics well enough. You had to learn it if you wanted to stay in the news bizz. I say we should get this done while we can. Power's out, economy's not working, so we're going to run out of gas real quick. We gotta use as many vehicles as we can right now before we run out."

"Once the roads are cleared of debris, this would be a wise decision." said Ludwig.

"As long as there are roads to use, that is." mentioned Iggy. "With the way things are going, they'll all be ripped up in no time."

"Well, I say use things while you can." said Morton. "And if I only have a few roads I can drive on, then so be it."

"So be it indeed." said Erzembar. "I approve of this plan."

"Do we have your approval, Larry?" asked Ludwig.

Larry looked at the map. "Lemmy, are you going back to your ice palace?"

"Yeah." replied Lemmy.

"If you have anyone else you want to bring with you, I would do it now." Larry suggested. "Morton's right about the fuel problem."

"There are a few that will come up with me." mentioned Lemmy. "But most will not. I still have my ship too that I brought down and I'm pretty sure it doesn't use gas. I cloaked it, but they never found it."

"I really need to see your place sometime." commented Iggy.

"Okay, what about the people who don't want to leave?" asked Larry. "What do we do with them?" There was a moment of silence.

"Then they stay." said Ludwig.

Larry glared at his brother, but the Earth King seemed unconcerned. "It is their choice. We are not responsible for their own fates, and if their intellectual capacity is unable to overcome the onset of denial concerning the increasing earth changes, then they will most likely refuse to relocate. That is their choice, not mine."

"Then who's going to look after what's left of the kingdom when most of it has packed up and moved off?" asked Larry.

"I'll do it." Roy huffed. There were some concerned glances around the table, but Roy continued. "The dangerous type stay behind. Those who murder, those who steal. They will take everything they see. They will think the land lawless. You need someone who knows how to deal with them, and I am your Koopa."

"I will consider it." said Ludwig.

"I recommend it, actually." said Larry. "And not just for his background. Remember, he still needs to redeem himself. This is a good way to do it. Let me know what you think."

"Well then, that settles it." said Iggy.

"I'm getting sleepy." mentioned Lemmy. "I think we should call it a night."

"Indeed." said Ludwig. "It is late, and I still have much to do."

"In the morning, I'll contact you before I make my announcement using Erzembar." said Iggy. "And we should work things out from there."

"Very well." said Ludwig.

"There is another way to announce the newly appointed presence of a king." said Erzembar.

"Such as?" asked Iggy.

"Assemble this same group in this location tomorrow morning, and I will disclose the instructions necessary." said Erzembar. "I believe that your minds currently need to rest and will be unable to efficiently handle the new information in the current moment. As Roy Koopa stated earlier, it has been a long day indeed. Please get some rest. This is especially recommended for Kylie, who will become the new Queen of the Earth." With that, the globe faded to black leaving them in silence. Kylie, who had sat in silence up until this point deep in thought about everything, finally stirred.

"Does that mean that I will become a giant like you three?" she asked. "That must feel so weird."

"Ah, she awakens from silence." Ludwig noted.

"Sorry, I kind of zoned out. I do have some ideas, I really do. There's just a lot going on and I'm tired."

"We shall adjourn for the evening." said Ludwig. "Morton and Roy may spend the night here. There are guest bedrooms on the floor above us. To King Ignatius and King Lawrence, I bid you a good night and wish to see you both after the dawn."

Larry sighed, getting up along with Iggy nearby. "Yeah, that was a lot to take in. I'll see you guys tomorrow." Taking out the Blood Wand, he disappeared in a flash of light.

"Yup, see you later." Taking out his own wand, Iggy disappeared in a flash of light before reappearing inside the Temple of Erzembar inside of what he called the "throne room," which consisted of his swirling chair from earlier and Penny Crygor floating inside of a medical device.

Iggy walked over to her. The statistics had changed: a little over 3 hours were left before she would be considered fully healed. Her DNA structure looked much more healthy now, and it seemed the biggest thing left to do was to reconnect her neural inputs to her consciousness, and from there to her senses. Iggy sighed, glad that progress was being made.

A thought came to him then, something concerning one of his brothers and he couldn't help but laugh to himself. "I wish that happened sometimes." he said aloud, but he looked down at Penny and quieted himself. "Sometimes." he murmured. He suddenly remembered the last time he had seen porn since this whole thing began and he laughed to himself again. Walking away, he knew that wouldn't be a problem anymore with how he saw everything. But wait, was that even ethical? Iggy pondered this thought in his tired mind as he walked towards the elevator that first brought him there. "You know, that is the best way." he said to himself. Doing things physically was far better sometimes. He hoped he could remember that the next morning. Living out the desires of the heart had always troubled him, but perhaps he could learn a thing or two from peeking at a few people in the kingdom as examples. Smiling, the elevator doors closed and the machine shot upwards to his abode for the night.


	14. 30: Bury the Fear

King Larry Koopa arrived inside of his bedroom with a flash of light. He growled almost immediately, emotion long pent up during the meeting. While he did not physically show it, the battle and the aftermath had a major toll on his emotions and he had little support save for his own willpower along with some self medication. It was dark outside and yet the temperature was comfortable with a cool breeze that blew past the pillars of the walls, making the curtains dance in the air.

He went to his dresser and grabbed a bottle of the Mad Scientist, one of Iggy's concoctions. Drinking a gulp of it, he then headed towards an empty space in the wall which suddenly revealed itself to be an archway to his bathroom. Walking to the sink, he splashed water on his face. He needed to get some rest and stop worrying about what was going on. He had a lot of things to do in the morning, including looking after Genlic since his absence but at least now he could try to get some rest. But the key to that was the state of mind and calm emotions.

Larry sighed. His eyes were lowering, and after a few moments he managed to exert the effort needed get his legs walking again. But upon exiting the bathroom, he noticed someone sitting on the massive bed in the center of the room. It was Mona, who was bent forward with her chin in her hand, seemingly thinking about something. After a moment, Larry walked forward and put his arm on his bureau, and simply looked at her. They didn't say anything for a while.

"I can't do this by myself." she finally said. "The work is too hard. All the people around me have their own jobs already. They only help out a little, you know? Then they go back to their normal thing. It was nice when you were around more often, stuff got done faster."

"I've been busy trying to save my kingdom." said Larry.

"Did you save it?" Mona asked.

"Yeah, more or less."

"Good. Then please stay put and help out. I can't do this by myself. You have to put new people underneath you or something..."

"Yeah, I'm going to reorganize the board soon." said Larry. "I'll be adding more members. Don't worry, you'll keep your position."

"It's just a lot of stress." said Mona. "I didn't grow up like this you know."

The winds picked up, rustling the curtains into the air before a sudden gust burst into the room. Thinking quickly, Larry flicked his wrist and the outside was closed off, the walls seemingly growing on themselves to close the gaps.

Larry walked over to the transparent walls and looked outside. He saw the moon in the sky above the Eastern Koopa sea shining brightly above a now turbulent ocean. The moon suddenly started moving to the south and he felt gusts of wind pound against the walls.

"What's going on?" asked Mona.

"Either the moon just moved on its own, or we just did." replied Larry.

"Well, so much for using that to tell time." said Mona. "The eclipses have been all wacky too."

"As long as the sun still rises, we will be fine." said Larry. After some time, the moon halted its progress and slowly receded back towards the south, and the winds slowly died down.

"Wobble." Larry muttered to himself.

"Huh?"

"Planet is wobbling in place." explained Larry. He walked back to his bureau and took another shot of the Mad Scientist.

"You drink too much. No wonder you're half asleep every morning." said Mona.

"It's how I deal with it." said Larry.

"There are other ways." said Mona, "Become more involved. If you go down there and plant some things yourself, then-"

"I have." claimed Larry. "I have my own garden. It's private, so you haven't seen it. But...it's not enough." He become lost in thought.

"You should try and work more with others." said Mona. "People don't know you too well here. Being out in the open will give them an idea of who you really are, instead of having them see you as a scary guy on top."

"Isn't that why you're here?" asked Larry.

Mona looked away. "Maybe."

"You're trying to figure me out."

"You're that mysterious guy who runs it all and says nothing about himself." said Mona. "You think I'm not going to get a little curious?"

"Truth be told," began Larry, "There's a lot of people out there that deserve more than I do. I'm greedy, I want everything. Money, jewels, good food, everything. I was in charge of the castle treasury in my younger days. Why? I'm selfish. But I also started this, because it feels like I have to make up for what I did, you know? I have to make that choice. Caring about myself or for other people. I want to care about others, but will this project change me?"

"You almost sound like a guy I used to know." said Mona.

"Did he have a conscience?" Larry asked.

Mona looked down. "I wanted him to."

Wario's last moments were not forgotten by Larry, and neither was that entire day for that matter. The events of the past few months were moments forever engraved into his memory. Forced to grow out of his father's shell, he had created his own and became one of the three kings, a hacker and near drunk suddenly thrust into the light and seen for what he was. He knew he had to change, and he knew how to act his part. But how much was he hiding?

Larry reached for his liquor, but something stopped his arm.

"Time is a fleeting thing." he muttered to himself.

"What?" asked Mona, unable to understand his mumbling.

Larry turned back around. There was nothing to hide from the old world, when he was helping to create a new.

"I don't want to lose any of this world I helped make. Even though I am going to lose something. It's going to happen. I already lost a lot, and I gained a lot in place. But when the shift happens-"

"Larry, richness starts in here." Mona pointed at her heart. "It's not outside of you, it's in here."

"I know." Larry nodded. "That's not...I helped create this because I wanted it. That's not it though. When we start losing people from death, disease, whatever...I fear losing myself."

Mona said nothing. The moon had long been covered by dark clouds coming from the northwest, now racing towards Genlic. The shifting globe had moved Genlic under the colder air masses to the north which now tried to find their equilibrium. A light snow began to fall upon the rocky desert below, something that caught Larry's eye. Walking to the window, he fumbled with the words he wanted to say but none of it seemed logical.

"I'm hitting a brick wall." he said. "But I was the one who made it. I can see all that passes on the outside. I cannot be ruled by fear, whatever sacred is left cannot be tarnished. That's how they took hold of me. It will happen again unless...I can let go of who I was. Is that even possible?"

"Who are you?" asked Mona.

Larry was silent for a moment. "A coward."

"What are you afraid of?"

"Being hurt...no, more than that. What matters. Getting close to people. Relationships." He shook his head. "I don't like feeling vulnerable. I've been with people, one of them is somewhere in this place. But our hearts were not fully open, were they? You know they will go away in the end. We knew that it was going to-"

"Don't love somebody out of loneliness." said Mona, turning back towards the entrance. "You have to let go of your old life and become the role model you're supposed to be. Hiding yourself from everyone else is just like what your enemy did, right? If you don't want that to happen again, then share your problems and we'll try to help you. Just tell me or one of us."

Larry said nothing, but he really couldn't say anything. His anxiety was too great for him to speak, let alone do anything.

"If you keep hiding yourself, then you're just doing what they did." With that, Mona walked out of the room leaving a very uncomfortable Larry in contemplation, watching her walk down the hall.

* * *

"...where are you?"

She blinked up at the darkness. Realizing she was awake, Penny Crygor sat up on the table, clueless as to what had happened to her. She found herself within a large room against a metallic wall, with a chair that sat upon a pedestal in the center and illuminated by a single light from underneath. She saw her clothes below her on the floor, folded and covered in dried blood. She then noticed her new garment: a white one piece covered in a strange language, and fastened about her waist with a golden belt studded with a rainbow of jewels.

"What...?" She adjusted her glasses, not sure if she could believe what she saw. She knew her consciousness had not been entirely accurate since her injury, but was this real? Had she been injured again? She bent down and touched the folded clothes on the ground and indeed, it seemed to be real, blood and all. Seemingly on cue, she had a flashback to that moment in the desert. Kylie said something to her, and she should have listened.

Penny closed her eyes and rocked back and forth. Her life was being swept along by the winds of fate. She needed to regather herself and remember that what she had was all she had. Analyzing was one thing, but surviving was another. It was a different mindset. Her injuries were trying to tell her something.

"Perception is subjective." she said to herself. Being absolute in ones point of view makes one as tough as a rock, but unable to handle the winds of change when they blow. It was something Penny had a hard time with, but she knew that if she was going to survive from this point forward, she was going to have open her mind a little bit.

Penny opened her eyes. She didn't quite know where she was, but considering the vastness of the place and excluding all other logical fallacies, she was probably somewhere in that pyramid she had seen earlier. Who had brought her there was another question. Penny had heard about the UmNaru from Kylie, and about the takeover of the Koopa Kingdom. She knew that storm had something to do with it all, but didn't know if its intent of malicious or otherwise.

Regardless, Penny needed to find some answers. She hopped down from the table and remembering the clothes on the ground, briefly considered taking off the strange outfit she wore. However, after unfolding her clothes and seeing how stained they were, she instead decided to carry them with her and only put on her boots that lay next to them.

On impulse, she looked at the hieroglyphic language that covered the entirety of the robe. While she couldn't read it as it was not based upon anything she had seen at the Temple of Inauro thus far, it was definitely Koopa related which further supported her previous hypothesis. Penny wondered if Iggy had anything to do with this, but considering how long it had been since the Galaxy broke up...

Looking around for an exit, she spotted what appeared to be an elevator off to her right. She walked towards it, hopeful that she could find her way out of the place. As she approached it, the doors seemed to open automatically and Penny walked inside. As the doors closed, she noticed an array of unlabeled buttons and wondered how anybody could remember them all, but the elevator moved on its own, shooting upwards against the wall. She noted the spiral designs on the other side of the room, where a long walkway seemed to spiral upwards. Penny had heard about the spiral designs being found on the walls of prehistoric caves, but did not know their meaning.

She wondered how old this place really was, but her view was suddenly cut off as layers of metal flew by her, along with fleeting glimpses of other floors, all dimly lit. Eventually the metal transitioned to stone, and the floors likewise did. The elevator stopped at one of these, a floor made of ancient concrete and dimply lit with strange lights lining the walls, but they did nothing to penetrate the darkness above. The elevator doors opened, but Penny hesitated. Was this the right stop? If not, then why would it stop here? Was it a trap? Or was this the last stop used? She didn't know, but considering the change in building construction, she guessed that she was getting closer to her goal.

Stepping out, Penny cautiously walked down the corridor, her footfalls echoing off the walls. The elevator closed behind her and moved downward, leaving her alone. She continued forward, her course now set before her. She passed by many side passages and several other rooms, but knew better and stuck to the main path. It went on for quite some time and there was nothing but silence, save her own footsteps and her own breathing.

She passed by another room to her right, but one of the double doors opened inward seemingly in response. She stopped and darted her eyes towards the doors, wondering if she was being watched. The place had seemed all but empty since her awakening, yet somebody was responsible for putting her here. From her spot, she couldn't see anything inside the unlit room save for the outline of what appeared to be a bed of some kind.

After a moment, her logic returned to her. "I don't believe in ghosts." she quipped, turning back and continuing along her way towards her hopeful exit. As time passed, she became more pressed to find a way out, but the walls remained the same, the lighting remained consistent and none of the side passages gave any clues to deviating from such symmetry.

After several minutes of walking, a voice was heard ahead, seemingly rambling to itself. It grew louder as Penny approached a bend in the path with a set of double doors before it.

"No thank you, I've had enough. Yes, you will return to your normal state but you'll have to adjust to it since that's never happened int his age yet. Me? Why? I just did my duty, are you saying you would rather be asleep?"

It was definitely Iggy's voice, but he made no sense, unless he were in a crowd and yet no other voices were heard. Reluctantly, Penny gently pushed the doors open. Inside was a large room dimly lit, with soft lights illuminating the walls. Straight across from the door was a circular bed with an over-sized and horned Iggy laying upon it with a pair of boxers, his shell laying on the floor nearby. With his eyes closed, he seemed to be talking to himself in his sleep. It was certainly an odd spectacle, never mind Iggy's sudden growth spurt making him resemble Bowser. It seemed to Penny that he was talking to his thoughts at first, but she quickly dismissed the idea. This was far more organized and deliberate.

"Go anywhere near him, and you enter the realm of the weird." Penny said to herself, but she couldn't help but smile. It was something that she had gotten used to, probably more so than most. There was only one thing left to do.

She walked over to him and tugged on his shoulder. "Hey Iggy-"

Iggy's head turned towards her, his eyes still closed. "Yes? Oh, hi Penny."

"Um, are you sleeping?" she asked.

"We are always asleep in one world and awake in another." he replied. Iggy tried to stand up on his bed, but this proved futile and and he collapsed back down on it face first. "Thanks! No that's fine, I'll take care of it. It's not that hard, talk to Geraldo. Hey Penny...there you are."

"Who are you talking with?" Penny asked.

Iggy chuckled. "Take a look!" He stumbled to his feet successfully and without looking, walked in Penny's direction. He touched her arm and suddenly her vision shifted dramatically. The room took a lighter color and was crowded with people, all surrounding the two and demanding Iggy's attention. Penny suddenly felt tired and lost control of her body, dropping her clothes onto the floor. But Iggy, with his eyes open in whatever reality this was, caught her and and lay her on his bed.

"You're sleeping now." he claimed. "It's fine if you can't get up, I'm almost done talking to these guys." Penny watched him turn around and lay down next to her and resumed answering their questions. Their noise seemed to be a culmination of an event she was unaware of, but her consciousness did not seem to be so self aware in this reality and she flowed through the dream like the wind. All she could do was watch.

"No, this is not the end." Iggy claimed. "Not the end of us, but the end of those who controlled us. It was a rebalancing in ways. You will see me tomorrow, even though the power is out everywhere now. It has been arranged. We will not abandon you if you do not abandon yourself. Think of everyone around you, then take action. Don't ponder the worst, but keep yourself busy."

There was a sudden light from above that illuminated the entire room and Penny awoke from her sleep to the concrete ceiling high above her. She did not know how much time had passed, it had been impossible to tell ever since waking up on the table many floors below her. But time did not seem to matter in this place. Next to her, she saw Iggy sound asleep under the covers, no longer talking to the spirits she had seen earlier. Her conscious mind suddenly realized the meaning of what she had just experienced. It broke many of the scientific laws that she followed, based upon the material observation of nature. But she realized that the five senses could not observe everything there was to know about nature, and neither were they designed to directly observe the spiritual. Instead, subtle methods needed to be employed that, with enough discipline, could be used to great effect as Iggy seemingly demonstrated. She had kept herself restricted from the unknown due her own beliefs. Why?

"Sorry." Iggy opened his eyes and stared upward. "I needed to show you how this world really works. It is beyond your five senses. Just because we cannot sense it doesn't mean it does not exist." Penny said nothing, so Iggy continued. "Everyone had questions about the spell I used against the UmNaru, how it dispelled all of the demons and spells that controlled them. They're a bit disoriented and tomorrow I start the long process of awakening their potential."

"Did that have to do with the storm here earlier?" Penny asked.

Iggy looked surprised. "You really missed all of it, didn't you?"

"I seem to have missed out on a lot of things."

"Long story short, there was a conspiracy ruling the Koopa Kingdom."

"This goes beyond the Galaxy?"

"This goes beyond the Galaxy." he said. "Bowser was a puppet of the UmNaru, the sons of Naru, a race of gods who enslaved my race ages ago. I sense they must have told him to build the Galaxy after my brother found the Destroyer. They wanted to world to remain in their control and the Galaxy made that happen, while blackmailing those who knew the truth. Then the three wands became known to us, wands that have the power to make us kings, of the blood, of the earth and of the spirit, last one being me. Designed to guide our race, the UmNaru were forced into the open and we fought them, to their demise. I killed them all. Just like I wanted..."

"Do you think that was the best thing to do?" asked Penny. "You said that people were controlled by spells from spirits, right?"

"I had no choice." Iggy claimed. "During that moment, they wanted me vanquished from all sides, using every possibility. The only way was to use the ultimate solution. The fallout from the event is already happening. You already saw some of it."

"People are scared about things they don't know, Iggy." said Penny. "Of course they will be coming to you for help. You completely changed their way of life. You need to show them what living from the heart means."

"I do not fear that." said Iggy.

"What do you fear?" she asked.

Iggy sighed nervously. After what Penny had been through, it was a good question. "Being vulnerable, especially to those close to me."

Penny rubbed her hand on Iggy's chest. "Like this?"

Iggy laughed nervously. "You could say that."

"Perhaps we're two polarities circling each other." suggested Penny. "We fear the other because we're opposites that can hurt each other, and yet the same in many ways. We both like science, but work on the opposite ends of the spectrum. Opposites always battle for their way, but-"

"You're right." interrupted Iggy. "It's all about balance. That's the purpose of this dimension, the balance of duality." But he fell silent, and stared at the ceiling.

"You're not telling me something." said Penny.

"I have a fear of intimacy." Iggy quickly stated, sighing again. "Getting along with people and having this emotional transfer thing is hard. I don't like being vulnerable."

Turning over, Penny lay herself across Iggy's chest and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Iggy had no words for that. Trying to relax, he reciprocated and wrapped his arm around her back. Neither said nothing for a while, enjoying a moment of stillness after all that has happened to them recently.

"Let's talk about this in the morning." Iggy murmured. "I'm going to pass out..." Penny hummed in response, resting her head on his chest. For once, they could both sleep in peace.

* * *

The starry night had grown cloudy as he approached the Mushroom Mountains, with their tops shrouded by dark clouds and colored lightnings. Distant thunder rolled down into the valley, forcing Luigi to inhale and reconsider his current path. It was the only way to cross the Koopa Channel undetected: to climb the snowy border between the Mushroom Kingdom and the Kong Valley. Luigi, now growing more than a five o clock shadow and holstering a bloody hammer on his belt along with a variety of items, felt it more than a coincidence that he was brought back near the crash site, where his nightmares all began. But a storm was not brewing then, and it now appeared before Luigi like a snowy god awakened, blowing his judgment across the range to warn those who dared approach him.

"Mama mia." he muttered, trying to figure out a way across the range. He was forced to walk most of the distance above ground due to many of the warp pipes becoming broken or dislocated due to many of the earthquakes that had begun recently. This may have been a good thing in disguise, as food was far tastier on the surface than it was in the sewers. Still, Luigi knew that he could half his time by traveling underground, and he wondered if there were any unbroken pipe networks that crossed the mountains.

Looking across the hilly plain before him, he saw several pipes sticking out, already knowing that most of the pipe ways were broken due to the land fault he had experienced earlier while underground. However, a curious pipe on one of the lower slopes of the range caught his eye and Luigi headed toward it, noting the temperature beginning to cool down around him as he climbed. Reaching it, he climbed on top and warped down to the underground.

Coming out of the pipe, Luigi landed on the ground and saw that it was a natural cavern lit with torches, marching in one direction. Luigi jumped under a ? block and grabbed a fire flower, thankful that he could find one. The cavern marched upwards with many pits and blocks, until it turned steeply upward which relieved Luigi as he knew he was climbing the mountain.

He reached the top of a cliff, jumping off a row of ? Blocks. In front of him was a strange site. The path here flattened out and a single green warp pipe jutted out from the right wall, but was boarded up with wooden planks and a skull painted in red in the center. There was no other exit.

"Huh?" Luigi was confused, as the area was not volcanic and did not contain any lava flows to his knowledge, a common disrupter of pipe networks. Even then, the pipe would have been properly blocked off with a metallic sealant, and not boarded across with wood. In fact, the construction of the pipe block seemed to have been done in haste, with no real pattern apparent among the boards, save for the large X that crisscrossed the opening.

Luigi walked to the left wall and sat down next to it in thought. It was not a proper pipe block, nor was it the method used by himself or his brother Mario. Perhaps it was something that the Mushroomers would conjure up themselves, but the haste in its construction said otherwise, as well as the painted skull: the Mushroom people never painted such things. The idea of a boss lying behind the pipe did not not escape Luigi and he knew it to be very possible. But again, if such a creature existed, it would have been well known by the mushroom folk as he was still within the Mushroom Kingdom.

Still, the construction was suspicious. Luigi got up and sighed, annoyed that the great progress that he had been making was halted. Staring at the back wall, Luigi noticed something peculiar in the rock pattern. Walking up to it, he touched it and was surprised when his hand went straight through the wall!

Luigi nodded, starting to put the puzzle together. He walked through the hidden wall and was immediately faced with a light blue pipe sticking out of the ground inside a small alcove in the real wall. He knew immediately that he was facing old pipework, at least 20 years old. The light blue color had been phased out of use following the 1988 invasion, due to an incident when a vast number of Mushroom people were killed as they hid inside such a pipe by Bowser's armies. Luigi knew that something was wrong and hoped he wouldn't come across that same pipe.

Jumping into the pipe, he warped into a large unlit room. His eyes adjusting to the darkness, he saw the outline of a circuit box upon a wall nearby. Opening it, he hit the main switch and the power turned on instantly, revealing his surroundings. It was a constructed room built with gray blocks, a standard material used during that same time period. Light blue pipes filled the whole room, twisting this way and that. An office was hollowed out of the concrete but little was left inside, although a single letter covered in dust was seen upon the rustic desk. Picking it up, Luigi scanned it quickly:

"General, our troops are marching through the quadrant now. Silence the rest of them, and we'll go unnoticed. We will take her by night. March forward!" -B. 10/23

October 23, 1988, the day of the invasion. Back then, the kingdom was thought to be impenetrable after Bowser's first invasion of '85. How Bowser had sneaked past the border guard was unknown, but it appeared that he finally had the answer: a secret base located under the mushroom range.

Luigi shook his head. "Move on, Luigi." Putting the paper back on the table he walked out and examined the pipes that criss-crossed the room, trying to determine which one would lead him over the mountain. Tracing the pathways of the pipes, he discovered one heading in the direction he needed to head towards. Climbing a set of metal stairs, Luigi briskly walked across the mezzanine and several pipe openings before finding the one that he needed. Inhaling, he jumped in and was immediately warped upwards.

A hollow sound grew in intensity and snowflakes blew past his face; with luck, he had found an opening to the outside. Moments later he emerged from the pipe and was immediately blasted with wind and snow that was so strong that it knocked him from the top of the pipe to the ground below it. He had emerged in the middle of a raging blizzard.

Luigi slowly got up, half covered in snow and quickly realizing that he was going have to find shelter soon. The wind chill bit his face and shivers ran down his spine. Without a coat he was not going to last very long. He trudged through the snow, guessing that 5 or 6 inches had already fallen. His visibility was reduced and he tried to make out what was in front of him. To his left see saw the outlines of a building, but as he came closer saw the door had caved in and snow drifts had piled inside of the now derelict structure. A poster next to the door remained hanging, and seeing what remained of the fading ink made Luigi huff to himself in memory. It was a motivational poster depicting a much younger Lemmy Koopa, back when he still rode his ball. It convinced Luigi that this was indeed a secret base stemming back to the '88 War, and from the looks of it belonged to Lemmy. Hardly surprising, given the climate.

Turning away, Luigi passed the abandoned shelter and looked about him. The peak still jutted above him and he guessed he was somewhere halfway up one of the lesser peaks. To his west, the thunder was more intense and the many colored lightnings more brilliant. It was all suspicious, not only the rarity of thunder snow as he called it back in Brooklyn, but the fact that the lightning had different colors other than white. Evidently, it was possible but he didn't have the time to think more about it. He needed to keep moving forward.

Crossing what appeared to be a long flat surface carved out of the mountain shrouded by snow, Luigi began to see the outline of something long and thin that rested along the edge of the mountain. Was it a train? As he came closer, he realized that what he saw was accurate. It was a long black train set upon hidden rails under the snow, but the train seemed to be in better shape than the rest of the area. Certainly, its sleek design mirrored the modern more than it did the 1980's and certainly, a train from that time period would have shown some weathered wear over the years. The rail went in one direction to the right, into a tunnel under the mountain.

Luigi climbed the head locomotive and walked along the rail of the train, looking for an entrance. Judging from the cars behind it, It seemed to be a combination of a passenger train with storage for military goods. Seeing a doorway at the bulkhead, he walked faster but stopped when something caught his eye on the side of the train. It was a logo, painted in dark blue and resembled what appeared to be a wig.

"Ludwig." Luigi muttered. He assumed that this was how the Koopaling left the Mushroom Kingdom, and if it was indeed true, there must have been a good reason for covering his tracks. It reminded him of that incident a few days ago when he saw that battle in the skies, lights criss-crossing from northeast to southwest. In any case, it seemed Luigi was now following Ludwig's trail, which was actually good news. If it led to the Koopa Kingdom and he didn't see why it wouldn't, then much of his work was already cut out for him. The next problem was crossing that forsaken land undetected, but that was for another day.

Luigi pushed the door open and entered the cockpit. Indeed, the controls were modernized and most things seemed to be more digitalized and modern, with a plush leather seat for the conductor. Next to it was a flashlight and Luigi grabbed it to have a better look at the controls. Everything seemed to be shut off except for a panel on the back wall. There, a reading was shown on a panel: "Offline."

The reality of the situation then began to sink into him: he was going to have to start the train and drive it all by himself. While he did have some knowledge of trains from his childhood obsession of them, he never imagined himself as a conductor. "Think Luigi." he told himself, trying to regain his confidence. Reading the panels, he knew he could do this as long as he took it one step at a time.

Luigi turned the engine control knob to start. The panel display changed to "Engine Not Running." He turned the fuel pump switch to on, but nothing happened. Apparently, the pump did not work automatically and he would have to manually pump the fuel himself. That meant going back outside.

Turning around, Luigi looked around him and saw a jacket on a chair on the other side of the cabin. It was too big for him, but it was better than nothing. Putting it on, he stepped outside the cabin and back onto the walkway from where he came. Looking, he spotted panels with handles, and seeing one labeled "Engine" naturally opened it up. On the side was a 2 directional switch, one for priming and one for engine start. Understanding now, Luigi moved the switch to the primer position, filling the engine with diesel fuel. A loud hum was heard and next to him he saw a sight glass fill with fuel. Once reaching the top, he turned the switch the other way and slowly the engine began to roar to life, sending plumes of smoke into the air. Too impatient to get back inside, he closed the panel and quickly made his way back inside the cabin, closing the door behind him. Back at the panel, he switched on the cabin heat immediately, and turned on most of the switches including brakes and module control. Warm air gushed into the cabin, relieving Luigi and made him glad that he had a warm place to stay for a while.

Taking off the jacket, he placed it back on the seat across the cabin before switching the engine control knob to run. The panel display read "Engine Ready" and Luigi knew he was ready to go. Sitting in the conductor's chair, he glanced at the switches in front of him and turned on the engine run switch. Immediately, the digital panel lit to life with speed gauges, temperature readings and status of the engine. Several monitors started a boot sequence, which led to the loading of a UI interface showing the status of the train as well as communication to the train network of the Koopa Kingdom. Unfortunately, it seemed to be offline. Another screen went through an automatic sequence of engine start, and Luigi realized he did not have to do it the hard way. Still, he smiled. He always wanted to know what made a locomotive tick.

Luigi pushed the throttle. The engine roared and slowly the train began to move forward. Eventually, the train accelerated into the tunnel and all went dark. He turned on the lights to the cabin and set the throttle to 2200 HP. According to the display, he would reach the other side of the mountain range within 15 minutes at that power.

Wanting to explore the rest of the train, Luigi got up and headed back into the passenger car. It was very modern and was a staple of Ludwig's style, at least as he remembered it while on board the Galaxy. It was empty and all the seats and tables were spotless, save for one nearest to the cabin. It held a pancake shaped device and Luigi recognized it for what it was. Taking it, he pressed a button and a hologram appeared above it, that of Ludwig's face.

"General, lead the push from sector 26B into the lowlands of the shore. From there, the strategy will incorporate and we shall dispense ourselves into our appropriate locations. Junior must not learn of our invasion attempt, nor must the supporters that back him. I thank you for your service."

The hologram disappeared. It seemed Ludwig went through a power struggle with Bowser Junior, something Luigi long wondered about. It certainly explained his secretive departure through the mountains, a difficult feat to achieve as well as the heavenly battle as well. But he couldn't help but notice the coincidence of discovering a secret base from Bowser's 88 War holding a letter for Peach's capture, then discovering a train constructed by Ludwig holding information concerning the takeover of the Kingdom. Ludwig becoming the next King of the Koopas would probably be slightly better than giving Junior the reigns, but that was all politics. In the end, he was traveling to Sarasaland to meet Daisy and that's all that mattered.

After some time, he felt the brakes being applied and promptly headed back to the cabin. There was a light at the end of the tunnel, which was otherwise filled with blowing snow drifts. The train emerged out into the open into an area similar to where he had started. The tracks ended at a wall and there was another flat surface carved out of the mountain. This time, the snow storm was gone and Luigi could see an ocean at the bottom of the range: The Koopa Channel. The train indeed went through the mountain like he had hoped. Coming to a full stop, Luigi saw a building nearby that did not look so derelict as the one he had seen before. Walking to the panel, he pushed the engine stop button and turned off many of the engine's core components. The engine slowly died and there was nothing else to hear but the wind howling outside. The heaters also ceased functioning, which motivated Luigi to find a place to sleep for what was left of the night.

Back in darkness, Luigi took the flashlight with him and exited the cabin to the outside. The skies were clear with the stars shining brightly, but the moon was off again, hanging too far to the east this late in the evening. It was something Luigi had noted for the last couple of days, but that's not what bothered him that moment. Jumping off the locomotive, he noticed that Koopa City, which lay across the water in the distance was almost entirely dark. He could see outlines of ruined buildings and realized that the lights he had seen in the sky nights before were actually a destructive force from some type of weapon. Something terrible happened to the kingdom, and Luigi did not know exactly what it meant for him. He decided to wait until morning when he could think clearer.

He walked towards the building he had seen earlier. The door was still attached and it easily opened inwards. It was a small room with a desk on the right side of the door, yet the rest of it was empty save for a circuit box in the back corner. Closing the door, Luigi walked to the box and hit the main switch. Lights lit up in the room and cold air poured out of the ventilation shafts, a sign that the furnace was still warming up. Luigi took a look at the desk and found a button above one of the drawers. It was typical for them to hide in plain sight, so he thought.

Pressing it, a part of the floor in the back moved downward, revealing a staircase. He walked down it and realized he was in some sort of military barracks, with army coats hung up on a rack and bunkers lined up in several rooms. He had been very lucky so far and felt that this was an excellent place to stay for the night. However, he still needed to cover his trail.

He walked back upstairs and turned off the lights before heading back down the stairs again. A button underneath the stairway raised the stairs back to the ceiling, concealing his presence. Taking one of the green jackets that hung on a rack, he tried one on and while it was slightly too big, it would do fine for now. Walking to one of the bunker rooms, he shut the door and promptly took off his plumbers belt before throwing himself onto one of the bunk beds. It had been a long day for him, and for once he did not seem to mind sleeping through the morning. Who knew whether he would find a place like this again?


	15. 31: Nexus: The First Meeting

31

_Nexus: The First Meeting_

At dawn, the sun appeared over the horizon, giving light to the unusual frost that had spread across the Koopa Kingdom that evening. The voices that echoed out of the ruin seemed, to Roy at least echoes of discord. The castle barely provided enough warmth during the night, and only because of the perpetual lava flows that lay underneath. Many had not been able to sleep at all, too frightened from the previous day and talked amongst themselves of their future. Even now, Roy heard feet sliding upon the floor above him and the dull hum of voices, the volunteers that served the king of nothing. At least that's what Roy thought of him. Granted, he wouldn't have been in any better position than he if things had gone otherwise, but he didn't deserve it in any case. He had to make up for his mistakes. He was the one who started the civil war and triggered everything. In Roy's eyes, he had to fix what he started.

"We have to stay alive." he muttered to himself. He was going to help them do that.

* * *

A knife flew across the room, landing deep inside the skull of a hapless Goomba tied up to a plank of wood. A few moments of squealing and the creature died, blood pouring out from its wound. Satisfied, Roy walked over to his target and dislodged his throwing knife from the Goomba's head, blood squirting out of the wound in response. On the other side of the room were the Koopalings, looking on as if watching a spectacle.

"Aim for the skull." he said. "Between here and here." He pointed with his finger the desirable targets, above the Goomba's eyes and in the center of the head. "You hit his eye and he'll live. No good. Have to aim for the brain. You stomp 'em, they no good for cooking. Go for the brain." Wiping the knife with a cloth, he then cut the bonds of the now dead Goomba and brought the corpse to the table.

"Want a cleaver for dis part." Roy mentioned. "But can use dis just fine." He placed the knife's edge on the top of the Goomba's head, but at an acute angle. Slowly, he dug into its skin and moved downwards. Like a piece of deli meat, the Goomba's skin was easily peeled back, all the way down to the feet. What remained was the muscular structure, with it's eyeballs seemingly staring at the group in front of it.

"This is the normal way of doing this?" asked Lemmy.

"You betcha." answered Roy. "Though some people just go for the feet, or their dicks. Me?" He took out one eyeball and held it in the palm of his hand, before suddenly clenching his fist. Many of the Koopalings gave looks of disgust, but that only helped to fuel Roy's laughter.

"That's not funny." said King Ludwig. "Such vestibules are known to be edible."

"Heh, not a fan myself." said Roy. "But whatever floats yer boat." He tossed the corpse into a grinder, turning the creature into mush meat. "And den you have Goomburgers."

"You need a powered grinder for that." Iggy pointed out.

"Ya, but remember. I'm lazy." Leaving the Goomburger patties aside, he walked up to his next target: a Koopa Troopa in shackles, tied to another wooden post. Wasting no time, Roy took his knife and slit its throat, blood gushing from the neck onto the stone floor. Taking him from the wooden post, he laid him down upon the table and forcefully pulled the corpse from its shell.

"I hope these are prisoners, Roy." warned Lemmy.

"Ya, this one's a robber." said Roy. Pulling down the poor sap's boxers, Roy took a cleaver and chopped off his love muscle with one swoop. Nearly all of the Koopalings winced at that, except for Ludwig who had seen it before, done as punishment for harsh crimes. Still, it was a nasty business.

"I am pleased my wife is not currently present." Ludwig remarked.

"But why would you do that?" asked a shaken Morton.

"Heh. It's a delicacy. You never had roasted Koopa dick?" He held the bloody phallus up in the air. "You stuff it with sauces."

"Do I want to know what kind?" Morton asked.

"I already know what kind." said Iggy.

"Don't spoil it!" quipped Roy. "Fine, I'll keep it a secret."

"So you will have knives, a sharpener and a pack to carry it all in," stated Iggy. "What about vegetarians?"

"What about them?" asked Roy.

"This is good for meat eaters, but not plant eaters." There was silence, and Iggy turned to Larry. "I know you specialize in gardening."

Larry looked up with a depressed look. "I know, I'll teach them. I just had a bad night. It needs to be a part of the survival guide. I know."

Iggy sensed more than a emotional problem with Larry. It was more than just his exchange with Mona. It brought up an issue long unresolved, spiritual in nature and not fit for the current conversation.

"Want me to set that up now, or do it later?" asked Larry.

"Let's do it later." said Iggy. "We already have a lot on our hands this morning."

"Indeed." said Ludwig. "My Queen should be concluding her initiation shortly, and presumably we shall be off to Erzembar afterwards."

Just after Ludwig finished speaking, Iggy saw a flash in his mind. He turned and looked south through what remained of one of the balconies. Across the ocean far away, he saw a storm of many colors brewing upon the northern mushroom range. Iggy held out his hand, and successfully manipulated the colors into a vortex before defusing it just as fast.

"But nothing else happens." Iggy murmured.

Ludwig hummed to himself. Suddenly, the view of the kingdom rushed past them, zooming in upon the northern slopes of the mushroom range, with the storm thundering above them.

"Uh...what happened?" asked Morton in a stupor.

"Reality is incredibly subjective." mused Ludwig.

"Then what do you make of this?" asked Iggy. "I cannot pierce the veil."

"Neither can I." Ludwig admitted. "However, the cause must be explicitly linked to the Queen, despite her lack of knowledge within the magical disciplines."

As the two deliberated, the other Koopalings sat in silence, either dazed as to what just happened or absorbed in their own plans. Larry especially struggled with himself after what happened the previous night. It brought out a part in him he had long kept buried. Was it a fear of judgment? He never liked to fess up to authority. He had grown up with the mentality of concealing ones motives from others, for the intention of self profit or helping others profit around him. Recently, with the pole shift looming he had leaned on towards helping others, as he understood that one cannot survive alone and needs the other to survive. But with the increased telepathy that was gained from becoming the Blood King along with his brothers, he was beginning to realize that he could not hide like he used to, especially if two of his other brothers could see what he was thinking. They seemed distracted now, but that didn't matter. If he didn't take care of this, then he was going to lose it.

So what was the point in hiding, then?

"Because you are selfish." he heard. Blunt and to the point, it was probably Iggy. Yes it was, though he still talked with Ludwig on the balcony. A chill flew through the room, a just note for such sour taste. Mona came back to mind, and he realized that she wasn't just speaking for her own selfish reasons. She was in part speaking for the group he had formed, and neglected in part due to his family's troubles. But in reality, he feared others judging his selfishness, of keeping a survival site that...wasn't just for him. He had learned to stop betraying others, at least intentionally. However, he never got over his childhood, from being betrayed by those close to him. He feared being betrayed still.

But why would anyone betray him here?

There was a light from across the room, and in seeming response a light shone from Ludwig's shell.

"Hm?" Ludwig took the glowing wand from his shell. It flashed briefly and Ludwig noticed that about half of the archaic writing on the wand had disappeared. Before he could do anything else, there was a lightning bolt followed by a crash of thunder on the other side of the room. In its place was a tall Koopa comparable to the kings, with curved horns and a green hat lying in between. First spotting Larry, she smiled at him and he nodded in response, deep in thought.

"Hi hun." said Queen Kylie. "I'm all grown up now. They even gave me a wand to play with." A pale green light glowed from it, and she pointed the wand at Ludwig, who in a flash was transported into her arms. "Neat, isn't it?"

Iggy rolled his eyes and looked away, but Lemmy laughed. "Looks like she's keeping you whether you like it or not!"

"It was an inevitable conclusion." Ludwig reasoned, before being smacking on the lips by Kylie.

"Well, you guys are busy, so I'll do it." said Lemmy. Iggy watched with a curious expression as the smaller Koopaling walked over to the Earth Sphere. Something inside's Lemmy's shell lit up and so did the sphere momentarily before the face of a machine appeared.

"Ah. You must be the Nexus." said Erzembar.

"Huh?" Lemmy was already confused.

"Another surprise up your sleeve, Erzembar?" asked Iggy.

"Yes." said Erzembar. "If ready, I shall transport the kings, queen and nexus to the next stage of awakening." Everyone looked at each other.

"This is like some elite club." complained Morton. "When do I get to join?"

"Your role is more vital than you know." said Erzembar. "Some of the greatest leaders throughout history never carried titles."

"Everyone's got a place." said Roy. "I get it."

"Then, let us begin." The five then disappeared, leaving Morton and Roy behind. The mountain range zoomed away, and the proper view of the kingdom returned.

"We gotta get this shit started, bro." said Morton, getting up, "They're gonna be yelling at each other in a few hours."

Roy walked towards the hall. "I'm seeing Wendy first."

* * *

They reappeared upon a flat and snowy mountain, in the middle of the storm they had seen earlier. Above them rose the highest peak, surrounded by a multitude of shifting colors. Ahead of them, the slope rose up to a round door under the cliffs of the mountain. Strangely, they did not feel cold.

"Look." Iggy pointed to his feet, where a large stone circle was seen under under the blowing snow drifts. It was surrounded by six circles on the diameter with a pathway from each leading to the center of the bigger circle. Four of the circles were lit: one yellow, one dark blue, one fuchsia, and one orange. Each of the circles were equally distant from each other, save for the dark blue and fuchsia circles which were next to each other.

"Magic signatures." explained Ludwig. "My theory is correct. There are six of us."

"Then who or what is at the center?" asked Iggy. "Lemmy?"

"Yes." verified Erzembar, speaking through the Wand of the Spirit. "Lemmy, I shall explain your role once Heaven's Seat is reopened."

"Heaven's Seat? But it's not really heaven heaven, is it?" questioned Kylie.

"Not in the idealistic sense of the word." said Erzembar. "You shall see. A part of the scheme has already been understood by yourselves."

Curious, Lemmy walked up to the large circular door. In the center of it was a green gemstone placed way above his head with the imprint of a hand much larger than his. Using the Wand of Koopa, Lemmy levitated off the ground and traveled up to the gemstone.

"It reminds me of Naru." Iggy thought, looking towards Lemmy's direction.

"Naru?" Kylie thought in response. That's right, she was a Queen now.

"The home world of the Koopa's." Iggy thought. "The pyramid where I found the Wand of the Spirit had an entrance almost exactly like the one in front of us now."

Lemmy placed his hand on the gemstone. Nothing seemed to happen. Ludwig studied the stone circle below him. The yellow circle, presumably representing Iggy's magic signature, was now connected to the center by a yellow line that had lit up. The dark blue circle did likewise, as did the fuchsia circle. The orange circle however, had no such line.

Lemmy glanced at Larry, who still looked downcast. "What's wrong, Larry?"

Larry looked at his older brother ahead of him. "How can you trust someone as suspicious as me?" he thought.

"You were chosen by Kamek for a reason." stated Ludwig.

"Kamek is dead." said Larry.

"Then you must find the reason yourself."

Iggy wanted to think of something, but knew better.

"Listen, trust yourself." thought Kylie, quickly catching on. "Others will trust you if you trust yourself."

"It's hard to trust yourself after knowing what you've done in the past." thought Larry.

"That was the old world." Iggy thought. "This is the new. You're one of the heads. Remake yourself."

Lemmy was puzzled. He got no response from Larry, and everyone was looking at each other without saying a word. He remembered hearing Iggy in his mind during the battle with the UmNaru. Was this telepathy again? He decided to try.

"Hey guys!" he thought. "You know I can't hear you!"

They turned back around and looked at him. "Sorry Lemmy." said Iggy. "We're trying to fix the problem with Larry."

"Then let me help!" pleaded Lemmy.

"Very well." said Ludwig.

"He doesn't trust himself." Iggy bluntly said.

"That's easy. You can't love others if you can't love yourself!" stated Lemmy.

Larry sighed.

"It's all about the moment, dude!" explained Lemmy. "The past is gone, always will be. But you can change the future with this moment. Don't let the past become your future, man."

"You're right." said Larry. "I'll try." He closed his eyes and nodded to himself. The others waited many moments, until an orange line was seen slowly crawling across the stone. When it reached the center, there was a white light that lit up and pulsated in the middle. Taking that as the signal, Lemmy again placed his hand upon the mold. The circular door split in half, rolling in either direction until a thud was heard. A warm orange light shined down from a narrow stair that led upwards.

"The Nexus leads the kings and queens through the passage." stated Erzembar. With Lemmy first the Koopalings walked behind him with Larry in the rear, trying to hold on to his new found spirit.

The stair turned left, marching upwards. The orange light grew more intense and it wasnt before long that the left wall gave way to a beautiful landscape, a lush jungle shrouded in a humid haze and illuminated in an orange sunset.

"What's this? A jungle under the mountain?" mused Larry.

"The primordial Koopa Kingdom, as Koopa himself saw it." answered Erzembar.

"How the hell is that even possible?" growled Larry, more skeptical now. They had rooted him out, so they may as well see all of his ugliness.

"This is a time suspension." explained Erzembar. "Created as an eternal state to his offspring, that they should see the world as he once saw it. This is the world that Koopa first saw when he landed here from Naru and created his foundation for the future. This future will be realized soon."

"There's a future to this race?" muttered Larry and he got a few stares for that one, especially from Ludwig.

"There are elements of Koopa's original intent that remain unresolved." Erzembar said carefully. "This is due to the imbalance of materiality largely caused by the UmNaru. This resistance is cured by realigning all energy back to its natural parameters by the trinities."

"And what happens then?" asked Larry.

"It is best not to explain at this point." said Erzembar. "You are approaching Heaven's Seat and will be given further instruction." Then there was silence, save for their footsteps that climbed the stair that went ever higher.

Larry huffed. The more power he was being given, the more suspicious he became and the more he was forced to become someone else. It was not something uncalled for, given his predisposition to money and anything valuable in general. Over the years his sense of wealth had grown to information, something he became highly skilled in obtaining. But the changes now taking place were more than just the overthrow of a dark group that controlled the family for centuries. There were internal struggles, and the polarization of opinions like he had seen in Wendy's insane tantrums during the previous day in the castle dungeon. Even during the battle there were clearly two sides and fewer were now sitting on the fence of apathy. Something was polarizing, something was forcing him to move in a direction, but he did not know what. He decided to remain silent and study the other's reactions. Judging from what he has seen so far, most have not taken conscious note of this change.

After passing a countless number of ancient relics that even Iggy decided not to bother to decipher, they reached the top of the "mountain" that they had previously entered, except the summit was snow free and hollowed out like a cone, with the tip above a construction of unknown origin. A large quartz crystal floated inside of this tip, rotating clockwise. In all directions they could see the world as it once was, unhampered by the inter-specie wars during the gold rush of the past. The orange sun was to the west just over the horizon, beaming across the summit. Around the circle were three pairs of two seats, all equilateral from each other and facing the center, which was depressed into the earth forming a smaller circle accessed by steps on four sides.

"Please be seated." said Erzembar.

* * *

Morton had no idea what was going on. He just knew that there was a swirling column of several lights in the distance that stretched upwards into space. He heard commotion increase outside of the castle and snapped out of his trance.

"Hey Roy, we gotta get on this shit!" he called out to his older brother, pointing to the light. Roy looked up from his latest kill and raised his brows. "Wow."

"I'm getting the comm system set up." said Morton, already running down the hallway. Roy looked at the sight for a few moments, and quietly nodded to himself. He was on the right path.

After climbing a few sets of stairs, Roy reached the top level of the castle and walked out into the open air where he was met with a ruckus. A large crowd was gathering with shouts and noise, with more incoming after being awakened to such a sight. They did not seem angry, but more disorderly with people doing many things at once.

Behind him, pairs of Troopa's emerged from the steps carrying large speakers, wiring and other equipment from the depths. They quickly got to work setting up the audio system and it wasn't before long that they were spotted for what they were. Following an uproar, Roy was forced to walk to the edge and hold up his hands. "I will speak soon!" he shouted, with a few able to hear him. Many supporters of Roy shouted at him then, asking if he was the next king or not. Eventually a microphone was brought over and attached to him, along with a wireless transmitter. It was turned on immediately, and Roy had to think what to say quickly.

"Yo guys, listen!" Roy began, and the crowd quieted somewhat. "You're pissed off, I know. My glasses got fried, my face melted. This stuff happens in war. But you know what? That war's over now. It all happens for a reason. But anyway, we're making an announcement soon. Keep tight."

People began to shout questions almost immediately after Roy stopped speaking. Before he walked away, he decided to say one more thing.

"There's this question and answer thing were doing afterwards, so if he doesn't answer what you're looking for, ask him. Thanks for waiting."

The voices inevitably rose up before Roy stepped away to find Morton looking at the crowds ahead of him. "I hope they don't take long." he remarked, knowing full well of how impatient people can be.

* * *

"This is Heaven's Seat." said Erzembar. "Here, the kings and queens of our race gather to deliberate in a formalized setting. The balance of powers between the body, the mind and the spirit are discussed, along with issues pertaining to the race as a whole. Before we continue, I must make clear the correct distribution of power between the polarities.

"When a single sex takes up a wand of the trinity, they assume all of its power and must balance both polarities by themselves. This is naturally more difficult than the original intent of the wands: to separate the polarities of the wand between both sexes equally. Refusal of such natural distribution is caused by selfishness, and is often a spiritual orientation decision."

"So it was intended to split the wand into two, which is what happened when Kylie became Queen." said Larry, sitting down in his assigned seat for the Blood King.

"Precisely." said Erzembar. "The Wand of the Earth is not as its weakest state when divided between king and queen, but is rather at its strongest. For in the past, when the UmNaru began their machinations, they manipulated this perspective into what has been passed down by your forefathers today: a single entity wielding absolute power. This is not true, as it takes the full expression of duality to express ultimate power within this dimension. The ability to care for the other is the first step to ultimate potential."

"So, there are six monarchs." stated Ludwig.

"Yes. The power of the Earth may now reach its full potential once both sexes understand and are able to wield it."

Ludwig was silent, lost in himself. Kylie smiled at him.

"You never grew up with this, did you?" she asked.

"I did not." quietly said Ludwig. "I rely upon prior experience to make decisions, but this moment is unprecedented in comparison. Upon recollection, rumor came to my ears in my youth concerning the queen mother, but the investigation was halted. Perhaps this is related to..." He fell silent again.

"To what?"

But Ludwig looked down and sighed. Kylie saw it then, as did her in laws. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry..."

"What? What is it?" Lemmy asked, left in the dark. Kylie hugged Ludwig and they embraced in silence.

"That sucks." muttered Larry, rubbing his eyes.

"What does?" asked Lemmy, feeling sadness around the room.

Iggy slowly walked towards his seat. "Queen mom was murdered...for trying to split dad's wand." He sat down and shook his head. "That's tragic. It would have saved him too."

Lemmy frowned and looked at the floor. Things changed in a heartbeat, didn't they? There was silence for a while until Larry opened his eyes again. "This must be undone. You know what to do, Ludwig."

"Believe that the father I have known..." Ludwig muttered to himself, but he stopped and shook his head. "I should have seen this earlier. I should have heard it in his last words, in the tone, in the pronunciation. But given the circumstances, I simply never had the opportunity to shift my perception. Perhaps it was meant to be, given the events that have transpired." He inhaled and nodded. "Yes, we must avenge our mother. I shall begin." And he kissed his queen, with much fanfare from everyone around them, and Lemmy gave them a golf clap as congratulations.

"A heartwarming moment, more so if I still retained my physical vessel." commented Erzembar. "Now the kings of the Blood and Spirit must follow likewise to complete the Second Trinity. Then all powers will be balanced, and as long as the incarnate spirit does not lean towards selfishness, all will be right with the world."

Larry and Iggy exchanged glances at each other before staring forward in thought. His problem just grew exponentially; Larry was going to have to find a queen to complete his part of the Trinity. Reminiscing over his night with Mona, he realized that his solutions came by helping others, not by obsessing over his own skin. His focus needed to be more outward in order to find the solution within himself.

Iggy however had a bigger dilemma.

"So, I need a queen." Iggy thought bluntly. Across the Koopahari desert, Penny Crygor blinked, then blushed. "I already have a king." she thought. "Why do you need a queen when you already have one?"

Iggy smiled to himself. "Well, I have one in name, but she's not a Koopa."

"Oh, so that's what this is about." thought Penny. "Why can't I just be your modern day Princess Peach?"

"Because we need three queens to form the Second Trinity." thought Iggy.

"I'll ask Erzembar." She turned around from her latest project and looked towards the massive computer behind her. "Well, can I become a Koopa queen and still remain human? Probably not, right?"

"No." replied Erzembar. "However, there are theoretical shortcuts that can be taken. Infusing human DNA with enough Koopa genetics may make you eligible for the initiation, as no other creatures are allowed to undertake such a ceremony. However, the problem is the end result. You would transform into a Koopa queen holding the genetics of Koopa himself unless a solution is discovered. As explained to Iggy, this is an area I lack experience in, Humans were a relatively rare species in the past."

"This sounds tricky." thought Iggy. "I will have to experiment when I get a chance."

"As long as you don't mess with my ovarian system, I will probably try whatever you come up with."

"Actually, that's a neat idea." Iggy wondered if that was possible.

"Iggy, no."

"Darn it. Okay, let's talk about this later. I have to go settle another argument."

"Another one?"

"Yup. Ludwig is being stubborn."

"I heard that." said Ludwig with a raised voice. "And if your fortification took 16 years to construct, you would be the same."

"I highly recommend you do not announce your shelter publicly." said Erzembar. "Otherwise, its compromise would increase in plausibility, and your refusal to admit other citizens would indicate favoritism, a key factor to unrest."

"Plus if those mountains shift," Larry began, "They're not supposed to, but..."

"Understood." Ludwig angrily muttered under his breath. "The castle shall be set forth from the crags before the shift is to take place. If armed insurgents dare try to take my palace, they will be met with prompt death."

"This plan is more sound." said Erzembar. "However, preceding earthquakes may jeopardize your position. Proceed with caution."

"I assure you," began Ludwig, "That my castle was built specifically for this event and can withstand what the pole shift may do to harm it, once the castle is afloat. All I have to fear are hostile takeovers, which as you pointed out is entirely possible. However, there are mechanisms in place to prevent this, so this is unlikely." He thought for a moment. "Given the situation, I tend to agree towards keeping our survival shelters a private affair."

"The public will probably make their own plans, in spite of what is said by us." said Larry.

"I have constructed a plan that the citizens will follow to ensure their survival." mentioned Ludwig.

"Keep in mind it will not work completely." argued Larry. "They've been waiting for their chance and this is it. If only they knew what's right around the corner."

"It is the citizen's duty to follow the will of the leader." said Ludwig, but Larry chuckled. "What is this recent antagonism?" Ludwig asked.

"Look at these guys." said Larry, referring to the common person. "Do you really think they have the sanity to not only believe what we're telling them after decades of lies and disinformation, but to start preparing themselves for the end of the world? Look at them! Half of them don't even know what to do with their lives, cutting themselves and throwing themselves into each other's arms before breaking up the next morning. Rinse and repeat, and what truth do you see? These people are lost and broken. They wont trust the power that broke them down."

"They have the capacity to understand the current situation if explained in a proper manner." argued Ludwig. "Whether they choose to follow the instructions bequeathed to their mental constructs is entirely their choice."

"Being forced from birth to worship an ideology is not their choice." countered Larry. "Being forced to believe what they see on the news, what their friends whisper in their ears is not always something they can control. Maybe in the easier days when television or the Internet wasn't around, when people were actually more grounded and happier and the state didn't lie nearly as much as it does now, then maybe your tactic might work. But the easy days are over. The information age has made a gigantic mental web of lies that everybody is caught in.

"Look at what my announcement did. The UmNaru moved so quickly that I barely had time to react before I was caught in their entrapment. But looking back on it and looking what's in front of us, I'm starting to get the problem. The battle with the UmNaru is over, and we freed millions of people from their captivity. But they were brought up learning what they wanted them to learn, seeing what they wanted them to see. They never wanted Joe Koopa to wake up and realize his potential. We may have saved them physically but not mentally. Not spiritually or emotionally. The absolute dictatorship of the past supported a one fist rule of one thought, one mind, zero originality. But times have changed. Government was about physical control of people and assets. With the awakening of the three kings, that has completely expanded beyond that. We're talking not so much control, but guidance over every aspect of their lives."

"Do you really think that's our job?" asked Iggy. "It has been something I have been wondering about since the UmNaru battle. Frankly, many people live inside of their own world. I see them everyday. How can you pull people out of that and expect them to face the truth as it is? They are not emotionally ready."

"Exactly." said Larry. "They were never taught to learn about themselves. Because of that, they don't know how to handle the truth. I mean, we could announce the same thing that was done when Lemmy took Bowser's Castle, but I can guarantee you that less than half will prepare for it. Like I said, their minds aren't free. They can't think for themselves."

"So how do you just free someone's mind from all that shit?" asked Kylie butting in. "Because you know, that's a lot of shit they've been watching their whole lives. They're called zombies for a reason."

"Are you asking how to turn a zombie back into a Koopa?" asked Lemmy, curious.

"Well, you can't do that in video games." responded Kylie. "That's my point."

"We're not playing games anymore." said Larry. "This is the real deal. You can't just give them the information they need to turn back. They listened to my dad's noise with all their trust, and their trust has been taken from them. Do you think they'll just believe what we say now? They'll say we lie."

"Repeating that may help strengthen your case." commented Iggy. "You told them once already. But whatever happens, I think we need to announce this as a team. They have to know that it's not all about a single king ruling everything anymore." He looked at Ludwig. "Sorry bro, this is probably grating your nerves a bit."

"A tad." Ludwig admitted. "It is the culmination of expectations, to be handed the reigns solely to govern the Koopa province as monarch. That construct is crumbling before my eyes, and integrity can be difficult to maintain under such a circumstance."

"I'll start the announcement, and we can work from there." said Iggy. "Sound good?"

"Unfortunately, I must disagree." said Ludwig. "The people will want to see a known leader on first appearance. They would undeniably question your position if you were to appear first, and given your lack of exposure to politics, I must advise against this."

"Yeah, Ludwig's right." said Larry. "He's first, then he should introduce us once he's finished with the beginning of his speech."

"Fair enough." said Iggy. "Let's get this over with."

"Lemmy, you are the Nexus." said Erzembar. "If you agree with the current balance, then you may become the power source for the devices your civilization calls the television. The Wand of Koopa will be the eye in which they see."

"So you're the cameraman." Iggy said to Lemmy.

"Oh." Lemmy looked around, thinking about everything that's happened so far. He already knew Iggy had a plan and despite Larry's temper, it seemed his mind was also made up.

"What will you say, Kylie?" asked Lemmy.

"Um..."

"You're Ludwig's other half, right?" Lemmy asked. "Are you guys working as a team?"

"Yes, and we have always done so." Ludwig said with a hint of annoyance.

"Okay then." said Lemmy. "I was just wondering because the power is split between you both now, not just you bro."

"You should know me by now, Lemmy." said Kylie with a wink. "I can say things on the spot."

"Ain't that the truth." Ludwig commented.

"Then let us begin." said Erzembar.

* * *

Roy was getting impatient. They were taking their sweet time and the mob had a mind of its own, beginning to settle in the buildings surrounding him. Some appeared to be looting in the chaos and Roy caught a few sneaking off with electronics and clothing from department stores. Most seemed to be standing around and talking to each other, some commentating on the lights in the distance. While that was a good sign, Roy knew that they would make their own plans of escape, regardless of what the three kings and Kylie said to them. It is the end of the world, and they were just freed from slavery. Why wouldn't they run off? His supporters probably wouldn't, and Roy believed that was another reason for their calmness: he was the first one to attack Junior.

Suddenly, every television powered on in the streets, including the giant screens in Main Square. Even damaged ones seemed to work despite such logical fallacies. They all displayed white screens for several moments until King Ludwig's mug appeared on all of them. Cries went up instantly at the sight, with many cheering and others yelling at the TV closest to them. Either way, the calm crowd had rustled up from their calm into a frenzy.

"Greetings, citizens of the Koopa Kingdom." began Ludwig, his voice echoing out in every direction.

"What Crown Prince Lemuel said was true. Our beloved King Bowser is dead, slain along with his arch-nemesis in the fields of the Mushroom Kingdom. His death set events into motion that is now somewhat difficult to explain. The world turned chaotic and hellish, with many thinking that this was caused by the inevitable power vacuum that resulted. Yes, that is one of the many reasons why this world is on the brink of collapse. Yes, what was said by the King of the Blood is also true. Naru has returned, the home world of the gods who once enslaved us. The battle that you have all witnessed had much to do for it. This war was caused by those who desired their return and subsequent slavery of our race, a step backwards in time by those who believed that we were at fault for treading down this path so far on our own. Against them were the ones who first awakened from their spell, just as all of you are now. Needless to say, the battle was been won for the good, despite the heavy losses incurred. The Naru will not return to this world."

Shouts went up then by those angry by the sudden changes, with some throwing debris at the televisions. Ludwig laughed then, which calmed the crowed rather quickly.

"That's right. How do you know that I am on the side of the good? After all, I could just be another Bowser, right? Wrong. I am here to tell you that I am not the next king of the Koopa Kingdom."

Ludwig was silent for a moment, judging their reaction. Most talked to themselves, the noise rising again. "You may already suspect that Roy now holds the position. While he will have a new position to wield in the transitional government, Roy will not be the next king." After a pause, Ludwig backed away and the "camera" seemed to zoom out onto the three kings and queen. "We are the next kings and queen of the Koopa Kingdom."

An uproar and mass applause followed. It was obvious to them that Ludwig had discarded the one fist rule and opted to rule by group consensus.

"We rule as one body." explained Ludwig. "And as you are all aware, each body is composed of multiple parts. The King of the Earth, which is myself is responsible for the kingdom as a whole, its management and stability. King Larry you are already familiar with as the King of the Blood. He is the head of the royal family and manages the descendants of Koopa, along with selecting the next King of the Earth rather then by primogeniture. King Iggy here is the King of the Spirit, and is responsible for many things, not only for the light that overswept the entirety of the kingdom, but also for your awakening as well. He will explain in detail after King Larry's speech. Last and certainly not least is my fiancé, Queen Kylie who will be my equal as the Queen of the Earth."

He paused for applause. It seemed people were happy with the outcome so far, but Ludwig had yet to discuss the part that he feared the most.

"Now, as you may be wondering, when will the government decide to repair and renovate the infrastructure that has been damaged and capitulated? In a way, the answer lies in the sky. Naru, the home world of the gods can now be seen to the right of the rising sun, at approximately the 4 o' clock position." Various people looked and just as Roy had seen earlier, there was an orb obscured by the sun somewhat but visible. "This monster will grow in size as time passes, as will the earthquakes and other natural disasters. When the time is right, a pole shift will occur, maneuvering the tectonic plates into new positions creating mountain chains, forming new rivers and in many cases redrawing the coastlines. My father, the late Bowser was well aware of how this kingdom would fare which was one reason for his ordered government cover-up. Now, I will tell you exactly what will occur." He displayed a floating holographic of the planet in front of him.

"During the hour of the pole shift, the tectonic plates will rotate counter-clockwise slightly less than 90 degrees. As you can see, this places the Koopa Kingdom within the arctic circle. For many people, this will be the only explanation they will need to prepare themselves. However, there is a plan in motion for those who do not have such a mind or do not have the capacity to do so. The kingdom will be relocated beyond the western Koopa Crags into the Koopai. This area will become lush and fertile after the shift and preparations for migrations are well under way. While we are not forcing any citizens to leave the area behind, we highly encourage it as this area will become cold, inhospitable, unsustainable and uninhabitable following the shift, not to mention the disasters that will continue to occur. Therefore, we urge you to migrate, if not to the new kingdom in the Koopai, then to an area more fortunate.

"We will be constructing mobile encampments for those currently without a shelter. Here, one may be given the tools necessary for self sustainability. The practice of keeping seed is the most vital skill and will be taught to those who attend. However, it should be stated that with the economy permanently offline, there is a limited supply to most utilities. Stock will not be replenished, and so I stress to those without a survival plan to make use of the resources available. We will clear out only what is vital to ensure the migration is completed as efficiently as possible. We do not encourage looting of other's property. However, if a building remains vacant and unoccupied, it may be a good source of supplies. That being said, we will ensure that gangs do not organize and threaten the peace. We will be aware of their formation, put simply.

"I will now turn the conversation over to King Larry who has more specifics and strategies for surviving what is coming."

The view turned to Larry. "Hello everyone. Listen. If you're serious about surviving this thing, then it's time to act like we can survive this thing. It's your choice of course. If you want to die, so be it. But living? Survival is a different mindset than swimming the pleasure ocean. It's not like going to McKoopa's whenever you feel hungry or buying clothes on a whim. You have to make due with what you have. Not everyone will understand this. Many will resort to looting and that's already started. Once all of that runs out though, what will be left? Exactly, you have to be self sustaining. Those traveling to the new Koopa Kingdom can choose to travel with teachers who can show you how to grow your own food, raise a farm and be self sufficient, because that's what it's going to take to survive.

"It will take work, effort and taking action to make your dreams a reality. The old days of instant gratification, like getting your food cooked in 5 minutes whenever you want, those days are going to disappear. We can hold you hand now, but that will no longer be the case very soon. Sitting down and doing nothing is the worst thing to do, honestly. Take charge before it's too late. Gather the essentials, seeds, clothes, tents, blankets, things that will help you survive what's to come. Learn who to trust and who to avoid. And most of all, learn to think on your own. The age of media is gone. We're not going to force you, we're going to leave the choice to you. Thank you." A loud cheer from minority groups, but otherwise there was a standard applause as the people absorbed his words. The view then turned to King Iggy who smiled.

"Crazy how those stories were true, huh?" he asked. "The age of science brought a perception of ridicule to them, only because of their lack of verifiability. Unseen and unable to fit inside the academic mold, they were discarded as useless fairy tales. For those of you who stood up to this and believed in telling these tales, I thank you. This includes the older generations, many of whom we must rely on now to recall these stories and the older way of life before technology ensnared us all. Many of these stories have turned out to be true. The Legend of the Landstar for instance, which told of a star that shined on the surface of the planet in the ancient days. It was said that at the end of the world, it would return and vanquish the enemy with a bright light. That's exactly what happened, wasn't it? That white light that engulfed this entire kingdom was designed to not only eradicate all of the evil here, but to also awaken all of you from the spells casted by those who wanted to control us. The greatest change was the release of mass negativity and its transmutation into positivity. You may notice that despite the circumstances, you do not feel as negative as before. It was not entirely your fault to begin with.

"That being said, the rumors are true. The ones trying to control us were the UmNaru, the descendants of the Naru who once enslaved our race. Their remains have been discovered, and those who have found them I encourage you to show others. They disintegrated from the light and are now effectively extinct on this planet. Their threat is gone and so are the monsters that invaded the kingdom along with them. Now the focus is on our beliefs. It is challenging to see events that do not follow holy teachings, to see one's faith tested by the reality before us. More often than not, faith is a choice forced upon us when we were kids. There will be those who will believe the scriptures until the end of time, no matter what they see in front of them. Insanity has that effect, it makes one's knowledge absolute above all else and closes the mind to any growth. But who am I to judge, right? After all, I am not God or any concept of a monotheistic deity you worship. Put simply, the longer you see yourself living under God's fear, the harder your life will become. I am not here to dissuade you from your faith, but I am here to say keep your eyes open. As things crumble apart, you'll find that the most important things in life are each other. Experiences like what happened show us this, it's who we need to depend on. Good luck, your mind will need you."

Applause, and the view shifted to Kylie, prompting many shouts from the females on the streets.

"I know, right?" she said in response. "About time we made things more equal around here. There's something else too that I noticed in all of the king's speeches: none of them were funny. It was all about serious stuff and really, it's nothing to laugh at unless you're my uncle. But this is really is somber stuff and I don't want to see your hearts go down more than they are now. So those of you who can play guitar, a piano, the drums, sing, whatever it is, please do it. You will help us keep going. You guys are the beat that will keep our hearts going. You guys can do this, you are a feisty bunch.

"I have one more thing to say..." she smiled and looked down. "A new gang of Koopalings will be running around in a few months, so if you don't think we have a future, think again! Keep your feet! Love you all!"

There was wild applause for that statement. Iggy smiled, already knowing that Kylie was carrying a batch of eggs. He had been told by Ludwig to keep it a secret as they wanted to surprise everyone. Larry and Lemmy however were surprised, with Larry sighing to himself. "I'm getting old already." he muttered under his breath.

But Lemmy smiled and put his face in front of the wand. "She's going to be a great mom, right?" The people roared in response, cheering and shouting Lemmy's name. He gave them a thumbs up. "Actually, I do have a part in this." He turned the wand back around to the four monarchs. "I have to balance all of their power together so that what happened doesn't happen again. The Nexus, they call it. So yeah, I'll be around and so will the rest of us, If you have anything to ask, just ask."

"Yes!" Lemmy heard, and he saw it was Roy. "Time for Q & A!"

"Roy told everyone that we can answer some questions once we finish our speeches." said Iggy.

"Oh, okay." said Lemmy. "Then you guys can ask us now if you want and we'll try to answer them." Shouts went up instantly and Lemmy looked indecisive. "Hmm."

"One of the most common questions right now is "Are Aliens real?"" said Iggy, reading their minds. "As the Naru are extraterrestrials by definition, this all but confirms the question. Why other aliens haven't landed here yet is something we still have to determine."

"UFO's have been seen for years." said Larry. "But where they came from, we still do not know much."

"Another question is "Why didn't you guys try to stop the cover-up earlier?"" said Iggy. "Well, the reason for this was a space station that once existed called "The Galaxy." Anyone who knew about the coming pole shift and about Naru in general were blackmailed into living in this place or be jailed indefinitely. It was broken up in the atmosphere, and the rumors of parts of it crashing to the surface are true. Many people on it were eager to tell the world what was happening, but were silenced by different methods, usually wealth. Those times are now past. This is the second time we have announced the pole shift to the Koopa Kingdom. The people originally from the Galaxy have been trying to tell others about Naru, but not everybody has good intentions. Again, learn who you can trust."

"We will take one more question." said Iggy. "And the one I'm seeing the most is "How can I help?'""

"There are various ways to volunteer with the coming migration." said Ludwig. "We will have a booth set up just outside the castle premises, which primarily deals with volunteering within the migratory camps, cleaning up debris, moving corpses, protecting key areas and the like. All of this is currently being planned and we have only begun to set up the volunteer network, but if your person feels the need to give of your service, then please feel free to sign up for any of the above activities."

The Koopalings looked at each other. The crowd began to disperse in certain areas and to Iggy it seemed that some were already getting to work, not to mention that their speech had already taken a long time. He gave a nod to Ludwig. "Then those are the questions we shall answer for the current time. Of course, if you have any other issues, please feel free to speak to any volunteer and they will try to answer your question to the best of their ability. I thank you for your understanding and patience, and wish all of us luck in our survival. Thank you."

The final cheer from the audience arose after a very long speech. The late Bowser was loathe to do such things during his administration lest it supported his interests. Ludwig was known for his long speeches even before assuming his position, but combined with three other monarchs it became one of the longest speeches they had ever listened to, and for many the longest. People had begun to leave not not only because of a renewed sense of purpose, but because they were growing tired and had heard enough.

The televisions all powered off to darkness and the crowds slowly began to disperse, actively talking to one another. The four monarchs knew that they had a long road ahead of them and much work to do, not only to clean up and salvage what may be useful, but to move and lay the foundations for a new Koopa Kingdom far away.

Lemmy nodded to himself. It seemed to him that as long as they focused on the large task ahead of them, then their energies were relatively balanced. He was well aware that his judgment was not impartial and was given to personal bias, but that was the challenge before him. He was going to make sure they stayed focused on surviving, and not fall into the pits of despair. However, he couldn't deny that the failing mental health of most people was going to be a huge problem, not to mention Larry's temper...


	16. Epilogue

They found him. It was about time. He couldn't remember how long it had been since the Galaxy broke apart, or seeing a living being since then. It didn't matter. He was going in the right direction, north-east. He sighed, suddenly glad to see he wasn't the only living male left on the planet.

"stop right there!" came a voice behind him. He turned. It was those bean people. "Where do you think you're going? You know our borders are closed, right?"

Waluigi twisted his wiry frame in confusion. The Earth Changes had taken some toll on him, aside from his obvious mental delinquency. With dirty overalls and hair that nearly went down to his shoulders, it was clear he hadn't seen civilization in quite some time. But with no one to judge him, why should he care?

"Borders?" Waluigi quipped. "What borders? I saw no gates, no tolls, no militia. I saw trees and fruit. I saw her waiting for me past the shore. That's where I'm going, to meet my love. I have waited a long time. Have you come to bring me back to that familiar room."

The beans looked at each other, utterly confused. "What on Earth is he talking about?" said one to the other, Clearly, they had no idea. It was only the most important mission of his life. Well, he wasn't going backwards at any rate, Not back with them.

"This is my journey...my journey to greatness!" explained Waluigi. "You stop me, and I have some fun. You let me go, I have even more fun. You choose, I choose enough."

"We will lead you out of our kingdom." said one of the beans, but Waluigi made his trademark smirk. In a moment he was in the air, leaving the two beans on alert but clueless as to where the strange man went. Little did they know that he was right above them, falling through the air. With his feet extended, Waluigi landed on both of their skulls, killing them instantly. He suddenly looked unamused, as if he had better things to do.

"I must go and see the love of my life. Oh, right. Your reward." Picking berries off of a tree, Waluigi then proceeded to pull down both of their trousers and stuff each berry up their anuses. It was more fitting for a bunch of clowns.

"Clowns, were you pretending to be my old keepers?" Waluigi asked them, not caring they were now corpses. "That's what I wanted to do with them. They spend so much time with each other. They always did." He paused, his thought process seemingly interrupted by some invisible force. Turning back around Waluigi looked into the distance, being able to spot the far off ocean somewhere on the horizon. "Soon my Daisy, we will be together again." He returned to the path he was on before his rude interruption. People were indeed strange creatures, but he knew what he had to do and he was not going to let anyone stop him from doing it.

* * *

_Didn't expect me to end it like this, did you? Don't worry, the story is far from over. The fall of the UmNaru has been told and we are now entering a larger story arc, with events much anticipated since The Perfect World. These past two books were meant to prepare the reader for the next, for an Apocalypse is not just about the event itself which stretches over many years. A journey cannot start halfway through the process to gain total understanding, but must start right at the beginning. I hope you understand. The most difficult struggles for the Koopalings are about to begin in the upcoming 3rd book, "_The Great Destroyer_."_

_Thank you for reading this far! It is a long read for sure, but I hope you're getting some type of enjoyment out of it. _


End file.
